


If the Mask Fits

by demoncow97



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Cinderella AU, Fluff and Angst, Let Sakamoto Ryuji Say Fuck, M/M, No Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Ryuji and Ann are bros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-03
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:33:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25043188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demoncow97/pseuds/demoncow97
Summary: Going to the prince's royal ball had not exactly been Ryuji's idea. Then again, neither had working for an asshole like Kamoshida to pay off his old man's debt.Sneaking out of his own ball might get Akira in trouble later, but nothing could be worse than all these fake smiles and laughs directed his way.OrA pegoryu Cinderella AU
Relationships: Kurusu Akira/Sakamoto Ryuji, Persona 5 Protagonist/Sakamoto Ryuji, Suzui Shiho/Takamaki Ann - Background
Comments: 157
Kudos: 364





	1. Chapter 1

It had been a pretty productive morning as far as Ryuji was concerned. Firewood was all chopped, bathrooms were clean, and supper was all ready to go for later.

Sadly, productive didn’t necessarily mean good. Ryuji couldn’t really remember the last time he had a _good_ day. But when working for someone like Kamoshida, most days being shitty was to be expected.

Things only ever got worse when the bastard in question was actually home.

“SAKAMOTO! How many times do I have to remind you what the word spotless means?!” Kamoshida shouted, slamming the door he entered as he did so.

“Well I ain’t done yet!” Ryuji replied loudly, the added “dick” but a whisper tacked on to the end.

Not that any amount of cleaning Ryuji did ever seemed enough.

It’d been three years since Ryuji had been forced into servitude in this hell house, and not once had anything he’d done even remotely pleased the older man. Ryuji could scrub the floors until his calloused hands bled and Kamoshida would still find a spot somewhere. The food he cooked would be delicious to any of the neighboring villagers but there was always some ingredient missing that left the dish inedible to Kamoshida.

The amount of times Ryuji had considered poisoning the so called ‘commoner’s slop’ was too many to count.

“You will address me with respect,” Kamoshida demanded, stomping over to where Ryuji had been sweeping.

Ryuji sighed angrily, leaning his broom against the wall before looking up to face Kamoshida.

The vein in the man’s temple was pulsing, drawing even more attention to his bloodshot eyes. Clearly something had happened to anger Kamoshida when he’d been out, and Ryuji wasn’t above touching a nerve. Especially when only one thing got Kamoshida _this_ riled up.

“What, you get rejected again!?” Ryuji grinned defiantly, happy to see Kamoshida’s face go red in embarrassment and rage.

The sound of the slap to Ryuji’s face echoed throughout the living room. Ryuji brought a hand to his stinging cheek while clenching the other in a fist. It wasn’t like Ryuji hadn’t expected the violent reaction, it was just that the utter misery on Kamoshida’s face had been worth it.

Despite the throbbing, Ryuji stood his ground.

Kamoshida clicked his tongue, annoyed.

“You know the consequences and yet you continue to defy me? Do I need to knock the last braincell out of that empty head of yours?”

Ryuji took a breath through gritted teeth. After all this time Ryuji knew when to push and when to pull back. It did, however, take all his willpower not to throw a real punch Kamoshida’s way.

“Whatever,” Ryuji brushed-off, moving to continue his sweeping.

A firm hand on his wrist kept Ryuji in his place.

“You will apologize to me,” Kamoshida growled, not impressed with Ryuji’s sudden dismissal.

“I’m not gonna—” Ryuji began, but stopped when he saw _that_ look on Kamoshida’s face.

It was that stupid grin Kamoshida wore when he knew that he held all the cards. When Kamoshida knew he was the winner.

“We wouldn’t want your poor mother to starve to death on the _streets,_ now would we?” Kamoshida said in a mocking tone that sent chills down Ryuji’s spine. “It’s a shame her useless son is such a loud-mouthed brat. I’ll just have to tell her that the rest of the debt--”

“Fine, fine!” Ryuji cut in, trying and failing to keep the desperation from his voice. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Kamoshida pushed.

“Sorry for bein’ disrespectful to you,” Ryuji gritted out, too ashamed to hold Kamoshida’s gaze any longer.

Kamoshida chuckled before thrusting the broom back into Ryuji’s hands.

“That’s better. Now back to work!”

Ryuji watched as Kamoshida made his way out of the room towards his own quarter’s. It was only when Kamoshida was completely out of view that Ryuji stomped his foot angrily against the floorboards.

“Goddamnit,” Ryuji said in a much quieter tone than he would have liked.

It wasn’t fair! That asshole could do and say whatever he damn well pleased and there wasn’t anything Ryuji could do about it. Not with his mother on the line.

It wasn’t her fault Ryuji’s bastard of an old man had to go wracking up so much debt before skipping town. And it wasn’t her fault that no matter how much she worked, providing for the two of them always left them impossibly short on any money owed to Kamoshida or anyone else in town.

So yeah when Kamoshida said it was either Ryuji working for him the rest of his life or both of them dead on the streets with nothing, it was an easy choice.

Even with all the shit Ryuji dealt with daily, he still had no regrets.

He did miss his mom dearly though. He hoped she was doing okay…

Shaking his head, Ryuji set himself back to work. It was a distraction if nothing else. The floors of Kamoshida’s house were in decent shape, with many of them covered by fancy ass rugs so there wasn’t too much to do when it came to sweeping.

Ryuji moved the furniture as he went, getting under the well carved wooden chairs and tables, because if he missed something he’d be sure to hear about it later.

The fancy cabinets and desk Ryuji maneuvered around were never used, but existed solely to remind any guests of how important and rich Kamoshida was (even when in the grand scheme of things Kamoshida was not _that_ important or _that_ rich).

Everything here held a certain value that even Ryuji had to admit gave the shitty house a certain aura to it.

Well, almost everything.

Ryuji paused his sweeping when he got to the large full-body mirror set up in the corner of the living room.

He took in his own appearance with a wince, noticing that the cheek Kamoshida had struck was already beginning to swell. A light purple colour would soon accompany the swelling as well, but it pretty much blended in with the rest of the dirt and dust on his face. It was pretty gross but the grime was worse on his clothes anyways. The rags he wore were gray, baggy, and littered with holes. Given that he had outgrown the clothes from his pre-Kamoshida life, the old bedsheets had seemed a good material to use at the time.

His blond hair was dulled by dust but was still bright in contrast to the rest of his rags. If it were up to Ryuji, his clothing would all be as bright as humanly possible.

Although if things were _really_ up to Ryuji, he wouldn’t be serving the number one douchebag of all time.

Turning away from the dirty boy in front of him, Ryuji gave a final sweep under the mirror before emptying his dustpan and putting the broom away.

Now Ryuji just had to polish Kamoshida’s expansive statue and self portrait collection.

Then he could finally have some alone time to rest.

***

It turned out that polishing had led all the way up to when Ryuji had to serve dinner, meaning any potential rest time would be replaced by eating time.

Leaving Kamoshida with a large spread of food at his just as large dinner table, Ryuji grabbed the remaining food scraps and returned to his attic room. The place was pretty bare, but there was a bed, a small dresser, and a solid roof over his head.

So all in all things could be worse.

Plopping himself down on his bed, Ryuji could feel his body ache. His knees were especially sore today, so sitting down felt like heaven right now.

A light clicking sound could be heard from his solitary window next to the bed serving as Ryuji’s dining table for the evening. It was probably the wind.

Ryuji ignored it and began to stuff his face, only to be interrupted by an even louder click.

Okay, it wasn’t the wind but there was no need to panic since Ryuji knew exactly what it was.

Quickly swallowing the rest of his food, Ryuji sighed and made his way over to the window in time to see a small pebble bounce against the glass with another clicking sound.

Opening the window, Ryuji whisper shouted to the person he knew was the pebble perpetrator.

“Hey Ann, you’re gonna break this window one of these days ya know!”

Ann, who had been hiding behind the nearby tree, poked out her head and stuck her tongue out at Ryuji. She then gestured for him to climb down and see her, before looking both ways and retreating behind the large trunk once more.

Ryuji smiled to himself. Ann was a good friend, and his only friend unless you counted the mice he would talk to from time to time. Not that he’d ever say that out loud. So while her visits weren’t too uncommon, they were always welcome.

Slipping on what remained of his shoes, Ryuji took a quick peek out his door to make sure Kamoshida wasn’t nearby before climbing silently out of his window and using the ivy along the side of the building to escape to the ground below. Ryuji had gotten pretty good at this maneuver if he did say so himself.

Taking another quick look around Ryuji made his way toward the small clearing that had become his and Ann’s meeting place. It was behind a patch of older thick-leaved trees, and well out of view of any of Kamoshida’s windows.

“Ryuji!” Ann called out as she spotted him.

She had a big smile on her face, and was dressed-up more than usual. Ann always dressed well but she had clearly taken things a step further today.

“You get less sneaky by the day,” Ryuji said in reply.

Ann rolled her eyes, aware that Ryuji was probably the least sneaky person of all time.

“Yeah, whatever. You won’t believe what—” Ann stopped herself when Ryuji got close enough. “What did he do to your face?!”

The _he_ needing no clarification.

Ryuji scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Apparently the bruising didn’t blend into the rest of his messy appearance as much as he’d thought.

“The bastard was extra pissy today. It don’t hurt or nothin’ though so don’t worry about it,” Ryuji played it off, but it wasn’t a complete lie. He’d had a lot worse.

Ann looked regretful. “I’m sorry Ryuji, that was probably my fault…”

“No way! Just cause you reject the asshole and he can’t take a hint, doesn’t make this your fault,” Ryuji said before Ann could apologize any more. “But let’s not talk about that damn Kamoshida, ‘kay? He ain’t worth either of our breaths.”

Ann nodded hesitantly, some remaining guilt still in her expression.

“So, what’s up?” Ryuji asked, prompting Ann to speak her mind.

He loved hearing about what was going on around town, since most of the time he wasn’t allowed to leave the house. Ann wasn’t rich or anything but she knew a lot of the villagers, so she always had some good stories.

But today, Ann had some added excitement in her eye.

“There is so much for me to tell you today! Where do I start? Umm… Okay so you know that girl I told you about a couple weeks ago?” Ann began to gush, any hesitation gone.

“The one you have the huge crush on? Shiho or something?” Ryuji replied as if he hadn’t listened to Ann rant about the ‘strong, nice girl with the gorgeous brown hair’ for hours on end.

“Yes!” Ann squealed, looking pleased that Ryuji remembered. “Well, she’s in town again! I saw her on the street and she totally recognized me! We talked until some escort or something told her she had to leave.”

That was new.

“So she’s rich?” Ryuji asked, not keeping the judgement from his voice.

“Maybe, but she doesn’t act like it or anything. She doesn’t look down on anyone and is super hard-working. She’s so cool,” Ann said, not defensively, but determined to convince Ryuji.

Ryuji nodded. It’s not that he hated _all_ rich people, it’s just when people on the street needed help most of them looked the other way. It angered Ryuji to no end.

“Anyways, you know the ball going on for the prince the day after tomorrow?” Ann asked, but not waiting for Ryuji to answer before continuing. “Well Shiho is going to be there!”

Everyone and their mothers had heard about the prince’s royal ball. Hell, if Ryuji knew about it, then it had to be big news. Apparently Prince Whatever-His-Name was supposed to be looking for potential partners or something? Well people from all over the kingdom were showing up for the party just for the chance to marry the guy.

Ryuji couldn’t even imagine being that damn popular.

“…And?” Ryuji prompted, confused.

“AND I have to be at that ball so I can see her again!” Ann said as if that had been the obvious conclusion.

Damn Ann was even more into this girl than Ryuji had thought. If she was anything like Ann described she was a total badass though.

Ryuji did have a couple questions though.

“Ain’t this ball thing supposed to be for rich people who wanna marry the prince or something though?” Ryuji asked. “I mean, don’t that mean this Shiho girl wants to marry the prince too?”

Ann shook her head confidently. “No, her parents just want her there, I already asked.”

“Okay well, if you’re gonna go to this stuffy ball to see your girlfriend, you should totally sneak me some fancy rich people food!” Ryuji said excitedly.

Just the thought of the different cuts of meat at a party like that had Ryuji drooling.

“I’m not bringing you anything,” Ann said firmly.

“WHAT! Why not?!”

Ryuji didn’t ask for much. He just wanted--

“Because you’re coming with me!” Ann replied, looking very pleased with herself.

Ryuji’s jaw dropped, any thoughts of delicious food gone.

“Wha—Ann, why the hell would you want me to go somewhere like that?”

Ann smiled. “Well with all the sleazy creeps at a place like that I can’t just go by myself.”

Ryuji shot her an unimpressed look.

Having known Ann as long as he had, Ryuji could tell that was not the real reason she wanted him there. Ann was tough as hell, and could tell off any jerk that approached her, and she’d sure as hell never asked for Ryuji’s protection before. If he were to guess, Ann was probably making up an excuse to get him out of the house.

But as much as Ryuji appreciated the thought…

“You know if I get caught outside without permission I’ll be in huge shit,” Ryuji said sadly. “Besides, the royal palace ain’t really the place for someone like me,” Ryuji gestured to himself.

Ann however, did not look impressed with that answer.

“You’re out without permission right now aren’t you?” Ann retorted.

Ryuji unconsciously looked back towards the house.

This was different, if he got caught here he could say he was collecting firewood or something. If he was caught at a royal ball, the debt repayment would go down the drain and everything would be over.

Ryuji was about to explain this but Ann spoke first.

“Anyways I’ve given this a lot of thought, and Kamoshida is gonna be at this ball too right?”

“Yeah, he said he wouldn’t be home until really late that day” Ryuji answered, curious why that would matter.

“Well then there’s no way you’ll get caught!” Ann cheered, leaving Ryuji to look incredulously at her. “I mean Kamoshida only has his eyes on girls anyways, and we can dress you up so he’ll never recognize you!”

Sure, Ryuji lived for rebelling as much as he could get away with and doing stupid shit, but this seemed a little to stupid even for him.

“I dunno Ann… all this for some party don’t feel worth it to me,” Ryuji said honestly.

And while Ann’s acting skills were worse than garbage, she had a top tier pout. One that she seemed intent to use on Ryuji right now.

“C’moooon Ryuji! I can’t go without you! Don’t you want me to see Shiho at the ball?” Ann whined. “I promise you won’t get caught!”

Ryuji groaned loudly.

“Just go by yourself!”

“I can’t, you gotta come with me!”

“You’ll be fine, and you can spend more time with Shiho if I’m not there.”

“No! I’m not letting you waste the rest of your life in that prison!”

Ann’s voice was so genuine that Ryuji’s stubborn front melted away. He let his shoulders fall, having not noticed how tense they were until now.

Ryuji took a deep breath. He knew she was right, but there really wasn’t another choice was there? He was doing this for his mom after all. But even then, Ryuji knew she wouldn’t be happy with the life he was living. He could still remember the day he agreed to Kamoshida’s deal; all he could hear was his mother crying and begging him not to go.

Maybe one night of lavish food and live music would be good for him. And if Ann was so sure Kamoshida wasn’t going to catch him…

“Fine! I’ll go, happy?!” Ryuji said. “I hope you know what you’re doin’ though.”

In response Ann plowed him over, pulling Ryuji into a tight hug, a huge smile on her face.

“Yes! You definitely won’t regret this! I have a full-proof plan and everything!”

And while Ryuji wanted to whine about how Ann had totally won that argument unfairly, he couldn’t help but smile as well.

Okay maybe he was a little excited too.

Prince be damned, Ryuji was gonna stuff his face at the buffet.


	2. Chapter 2

Just for the record, none of this was Akira’s idea. In fact, he’d been one of the last people to know a ball was being thrown at all. Oh, and it was apparently being thrown in _his_ honour. You know, to help pick out a potential spouse.

Just perfect.

And even though it was _his_ party, any protests Akira had brought up to to his parents had been immediately dismissed. Not that the king and queen had ever really been the type to listen to anything he had to say, being too busy ruling a kingdom and all.

But Akira thought at least Sojiro would have been able to help him. As the kingdom’s advisor, Sojiro had spent more time raising Akira than his parents ever had. He had a gruff exterior, but the man was a complete softy, so typically he and Akira could reach an understanding on things like this.

That wasn’t the case this time.

“Sorry kid, this ball was organized months ago so we can’t go cancelling it now,” Sojiro said, taking a sip of his coffee.

“So this party is for me, but I have no say?” Akira asked.

As future ruler of the kingdom Akira had to be constantly studying, training, and building relations with important associates, but apparently it still wasn’t enough to get him involved in decisions regarding his own future.

Sojiro had the decency to at least look apologetic when he answered. “Afraid so kid. Trust me, I’m on your side here. It’s way too early for you to need to look for someone to marry, but this ball is happening.” 

“Well, can’t the ball go on without me?” Akira asked instead. “I’m not going to end up courting any of our _honoured guests_ anyways, so I should just save them the trouble.”

“No can-do kid, you have to be there.”

Akira gave Sojiro an unimpressed stare in response.

Sojiro pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Look, okay, tomorrow you’ll make your entrance, dance with a few people, and then tell the king and queen no one caught your eye. No need to be so dramatic, kid,” Sojiro explained.

“But Sojiro if I’m not dramatic, what’s the point?” Akira responded, flipping his collar back to emphasize his point.

Sojiro snorted, knowing better than most what Akira was really like beneath his prince persona.

“Go bother Futaba or something, I have work to do,” Sojiro replied simply.

Akira sighed but did as he was told and left the advisor’s office.

He could go find Futaba, who Akira knew would be doing anything in her power to avoid attending a ball full of strangers, but Akira just needed some time to himself before the social marathon he would be running tomorrow night.

It’s not that Akira wasn’t good with people, he could be quite charismatic when he needed to be, but it was just the nature of these events. The nobles and royals with whom he would speak didn’t care about him. They just wanted something from him. Whether it be his title or his riches, Akira doubted anyone would come to this ball because they liked him.

Well this was just another part of Akira’s duties, so he couldn’t keep dwelling on it for long. That didn’t mean he couldn’t be annoyed by it though.

The castle was bustling as Akira made his way down the halls. Decorations were being hung, important guests were being shown early tours of the palace, and the smell of different foods could be found closer to the kitchen.

The people he passed would all greet him politely with smiles on their faces. Akira would smile back, but knew these same people would likely talk about him behind his back as soon as he left.

There were numerous rumors circling about his ‘delinquent nature’, though Akira wasn’t sure who had started them. Sure, he didn’t do everything by the book but that didn’t make him a delinquent. Not everyone believed them though, and Akira knew he had his own supporters as well.

Other nobles he saw would try to strike up a conversation while he made his way through the main halls (despite his best efforts to keep his head down), in an attempt to get insight on his thoughts going into tomorrow.

“Oh, I’m sure you must have eyes for someone attending tomorrow your highness!” was usually what they would say, in which Akira would respond politely with a, “I guess we will have to wait until tomorrow to find out.”

The nobles would laugh at the vague remark, but let him leave all the same, leading Akira to walk a little faster after every encounter to retreat to his own quarters.

Making his way to the east wing of the castle, Akira climbed the stairs that lead to his bedroom. The steps were a cold stone that got older the higher you climbed. It was a pretty isolated part of the castle, but Akira liked it that way.

Upon entering, he was greeted with a loud meow.

Morgana, Akira’s cat and secret roommate, jumped off the windowsill and onto the bed with a yawn. Akira who was finally able to release his carefully maintained ‘polite face’, looked at Morgana with a yawn of his own.

“I understand you Morgana. The party’s not until tomorrow and I’m already exhausted knowing how many nobles are going to try to cozy up to me,” Akira spoke plainly to the cat.

Morgana flicked his tail and meowed in response. Akira nodded and patted Morgana’s head before speaking again.

“You’re right, they didn’t even let me be involved in the planning. At least then I could have invited Haru or something, since she’s one of the few nice nobles out there. And I know you like her too.”

Morgana watched as Akira continued his mini rant.

“Maybe we can sneak you into the party in a bag or something, you’d at least make good company. You could help me plan an escape route, since you somehow know this castle better than anyone else. I just hope—"

A knock at his door cut Akira off. It seemed like Morgana would have to wait until later to listen to Akira’s plans.

“Come in,” he called from where he was now seated on his bed.

The door opened slowly, as if not to startle Akira and whoever he was talking to.

What appeared to be two tailors entered the room, if their large sewing kits were anything to go by. Akira noticed the confusion on their faces to find him alone in the room. The tailors looked stern and didn’t seem to dwell too long on finding Akira’s conversational partner before bowing and addressing him.

“We are not interrupting you are we your highness?” one asked. “If you are preoccupied with someone we can wait.”

“Now is fine, thank you,” Akira responded simply.

Looks like the new palace rumor was going to be that the crazy prince talks to himself.

_Just great._

“We have come to ensure your ball garments fit properly,” the taller of the two spoke.

The other held a stack of neatly folded clothing on display as a gesture for Akira to change into them for a last-minute sizing.

Akira complied with the implied instructions, taking the black and red garments from the tailor.

It appeared real rest would have to wait until this ball was over.

And if the universe didn’t hate him, it would be over quickly.

***

Ryuji had never thought in a million years that he’d be excited for a ball of all things, but here he was waking up early to make sure everything was ready for the big party tonight.

Though he was a procrastinator at heart (especially if it pissed Kamoshida off), Ryuji was feeling motivated. It’d been a while since he’d had something to look forward to like this.

The chores that would typically take hours were done in half the time, and before Ryuji knew it most of the day had passed. He had never checked the clock so many times in one day. To anyone paying attention it would probably look suspicious, but Ryuji couldn’t help it.

So if he checked the clock again before heading upstairs to his room, then who could blame him really? It was getting pretty close to when Kamoshida was set to head off after all.

Speaking of Kamoshida, the guy had been especially quick to anger today. It was probably because he was stressed about making himself look good in front of the royalty tonight, but Ryuji couldn’t care less. He’d made sure to try and stay on the bastard’s good side as much as possible today to avoid drawing suspicions.

Emphasis on _try._

Ann had told him to act normal if he could, without angering the guy too much, so he was doing the best he could alright!

In fact, Ann had given Ryuji an entire plan on when to get out of the house (as long as Kamoshida had left already of course), and where to meet up with her later. She’d also found some passable clothing that Ryuji had sneaked into his room with him after their last meeting.

The button-down shirt and dress pants were pretty plain and uncomfortable, but compared to what he normally wore they looked fancy as all hell.

Ryuji had tucked the outfit under the blanket on his bed to avoid it being seen, not that Kamoshida ever really came up there anyways.

A loud “SAKAMOTO!” alerted Ryuji that his presence was needed downstairs.

It was about the time for Kamoshida to get going, so he probably just wanted to make sure Ryuji wasn’t going to try anything out of line.

Which Ryuji was already planning to do anyways.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs, Ryuji noticed that Kamoshida was indeed dressed in his best get-up. However, that outfit also included a hideous cape that made him look like a wannabe king or something. Ryuji snorted to himself.

“Yeah?” Ryuji asked, not hiding his displeasure.

“You are aware I will be attending the royal ball tonight correct?”

Ryuji rolled his eyes. “You’ve only told me eight hundred times, so yeah I got it.”

But instead of looking annoyed at Ryuji’s behavior a wide smile made its way onto Kamoshida’s face.

“Well you see _I_ am gracious enough to tell you where I am going tonight,” Kamoshida sneered, words becoming more cutting as he went on. “YOU on the other hand seem to not share the same courtesy.”

Kamoshida’s smug face only looked more pleased as Ryuji went pale.

“I-I dunno what you’re talking about,” Ryuji attempted.

Kamoshida’s face twisted at the blatant lie.

“You seriously thought I wouldn’t figure out your plan?” Kamoshida snarled mockingly. “You think I wouldn’t notice you watching the clock all day like your life depended on it? Or stashing supplies in your room? I’m not that foolish.”

Ryuji’s eyes darted around in case he needed to make a run for the nearest exit.

“To think you would repay me taking you in with a scheme like this,” Kamoshida continued.

“I’m not—”

“YOU THINK YOU CAN STEAL FROM ME SAKAMOTO?”

Steal?

How did Kamoshida get that idea?

Ryuji’s fearful face morphed into one of confusion, his brows scrunching up.

“I’m surprised you haven’t tried to take my valuables earlier; you do seem the type to resort to petty thievery to get out of your problems,” Kamoshida spoke with confidence.

That lit a fire under Ryuji. “I wasn’t planning to steal from you!”

Kamoshida didn’t look convinced so Ryuji continued.

“I’m not a criminal you bastard! I’ve been paying off my old man’s debt for three years fair and square, so don’t act all high and mighty!”

Shrugging off everything Ryuji was saying, Kamoshida tapped his foot impatiently.

“I should’ve known you’d be just like your father, taking what’s mine and skipping town,” Kamoshida spat, ignoring everything Ryuji said.

“I SAID I WASN’T—"

“I don’t have time for you,” Kamoshida interrupted dismissively. “In any case, I’ve hired a professional to watch the place while I’m gone. If I hear that you so much as step foot outside this house, it will be the end for you.”

Turning to make his exit, Kamoshida opened the door, allowing for Ryuji to catch a glimpse of a man in full armour standing out front.

“I expect you to beg for my forgiveness when I return. We’ll have to put some new ground rules in place, you ungrateful shit. It’ll be that or the gallows,” Kamoshida laughed as he shut the door in Ryuji’s face.

Ryuji stared off in the direction that Kamoshida had left.

How had things gone so wrong? Not only had tonight’s plans been totally screwed, but Ryuji had somehow managed to make his situation even worse.

He hadn’t done anything wrong dammit!

“FUCK!” Ryuji yelled, eyes watering in frustration.

Storming up to his room with each stomp echoing loudly against the floorboards, Ryuji slammed his bedroom door behind him. If it broke in the violent action, Ryuji couldn’t care less right now. In two large steps Ryuji was at his bed, where he threw his blanket across the room, revealing the hidden clothes.

He gave the items one last look, before grabbing the shirt and ripping it.

It wasn’t easy to tear the thing, but Ryuji gritted his teeth, curses spilling from his mouth, and pulled. The buttons were the first to pop off, allowing for the stitches holding the shirt together to tear completely.

Bringing the torn fabric to his face, Ryuji screamed into the white cotton until he could feel his throat hurt. Hot tears began to soak through the fabric.

Still radiating anger, Ryuji threw the destroyed shirt to the floor, breathing loudly.

“Are you quite done?”

The mysterious voice from behind Ryuji had him spinning around so fast he fell over.

“Wha—” Ryuji’s voice cracked.

Standing smack dab in the middle of the attic was a tall slender boy with blue hair. He wore loose-fitting black robes with a turquoise striped belt and held in his hand a single paint brush.

How long had he been there?

The stranger looked around, appearing unimpressed by something.

“This room is not very inspired is it?” he asked, more to himself than to Ryuji.

Finally composing himself, Ryuji dusted himself off (though it didn’t do much in terms of cleanliness) and got to his feet.

“Who the hell are you and how’d you get in my room?” Ryuji demanded incredulously, wiping his still wet face.

He probably looked like a hot mess, but he had to save face if he was going to get answers from this guy.

“Ah,” the boy acknowledged, giving Ryuji a once over and then nodding to himself.

But instead of answering Ryuji’s questions, the stranger knelt down and picked up the discarded shirt from earlier and strode over to the bed where he placed it down.

“Did you hear me?” Ryuji asked, very unsure on how to deal with this weirdo in his room. “What are you doin’ here?!”

How did he get here? Wasn’t there a guard outside? Did Kamoshida send him? Was Ryuji gonna have to beat this guy up?

The blue haired stranger turned back to face Ryuji, moving his paint brush in a fluid motion through the air.

“My name is Yusuke Kitagawa, but you would better know me as your fairy godmother,” the boy, Yusuke, said.

Scrunching his brows together Ryuji felt more confused then ever. He had so many questions he didn’t know where to start. So of course he blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“Ain’t you a guy?” he asked.

Okay… probably not the most pressing matter here.

Yusuke sighed. “It is simply the title, my gender has no baring on it.”

Well at least this Yusuke guy was answering his questions now.

“If you’re a fairy, how come you ain’t got wings or something?” Ryuji asked his next vital question.

“Wings would serve only as a hindrance for me. I prefer a simpler elegance in my aesthetic,” Yusuke replied, looking unimpressed.

The next couple of questions on Ryuji’s tongue died as Yusuke brought his hands forward to focus in on Ryuji, who tried not to feel self-conscious at the close observation.

“It appears I will have to work quickly. The ball will begin soon, and you are about as messy as they come,” Yusuke explained, lifting his paint brush once again. “Now stand still.”

“WAIT! I have no clue what’s going on!” Ryuji said, waving his arms around. “I can’t go the ball anymore, or I’ll get found out! And how do you know any of this anyways? You some kind of spy?”

Yusuke pinched his brow.

“I told you, I am your fairy godmother. So I am aware of your current circumstances as well as your desire to attend tonight’s ball. I am here to make this wish come true,” Yusuke explained. “Now, watch as I create true beauty!”

And with that Yusuke’s arms were moving wildly, motions similar to an orchestra conductor.

Before Ryuji could utter another word, the room around him began to sparkle and shift. Rays of magic leaving the end of the paintbrush in different colours were aimed directly at Ryuji. For a moment he shut his eyes at the bright lights, bracing himself for whatever was going to hit him. But when he looked down, he noticed his clothing beginning to change.

Holding his arms outstretched before him, Ryuji looked on in wonder at what was happening.

The dirt and dust that had covered his body was gone, his fingernails looking clean for the first time in years. The gray rags were all but a memory, replaced by sleek black trousers held up by a silver belt, a dress shirt and suit jacket tied at the collar by a red neckerchief. The yellow dress shoes on his feet matched with the yellow accents in the jacket and tied the whole look together.

Ryuji was so engrossed with how his clothes had just magically transformed, that it wasn’t until he heard a light _ahem_ that he actually looked up.

Yusuke had a small smile on his face, looking happy with his work.

“It is not what I would typically choose to go for, but I believe it will suit you and your needs for the night,” Yusuke explained. “Had I more time I could have improved the embellishments immensely.”

Moving his shoulders to get a feel for his new clothing, Ryuji looked at Yusuke with awe.

“Dude this is fricking amazing! How did you do this?”

“As I said I am your—”

“Yeah yeah, fairy godmother, I got it. But holy shit, I can’t believe you just magicked me up a whole outfit. It’s so damn cool!” Ryuji admired.

Yusuke looked pleased at the complement.

“There will be time to appreciate my work later, you must get going,” Yusuke urged. “Take this as well.”

Yusuke held out what could only be described as a silver skull mask. It wasn’t as intimidating as it might have sounded but was still unmistakable in its form.

Ryuji took the mask and brought it to his face, astonished that the thing seemed to mold perfectly to his features.

It looked sleek as hell, but what was Ryuji supposed to do with it?

“I don’t think this ball’s a mask wearing kinda party,” Ryuji voiced his confusion.

“Indeed,” Yusuke nodded in agreement. “But wearing this mask even temporarily will prevent unwanted eyes from recognizing you. I’m afraid even with you looking much more dapper, you are quite recognizable.”

Ryuji wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or not. He didn’t question it though.

“I don’t really get it, but if I wear the mask Kamoshida won’t catch me, right?”

Yusuke nodded.

“Correct. Now let us get you out of here, being stuck in an oppressive atmosphere such as this will surely stunt my creative processes if we remain any longer,” Yusuke said, flicking his wrist in a way that made the window fly open.

“Uh, sure,” Ryuji replied dumbly, brain still hung-up on the fact that fairy godparents and magic were apparently a thing. Oh, and his fairy was a bit of a weirdo.

Ryuji made his way over to the open window, peering outside.

The hired guard was still by the front door, completely unaware of the commotion occurring in the building’s attic. Or of the freaking fancy carriage at the base of Ryuji’s window.

“Dude! What is that?!” Ryuji asked, sounding astonished and impressed.

“A work of art is it not? Sleek in it’s figure and yet robust in it’s functionality,” Yusuke explained, not really answering Ryuji’s question.

Was this thing gonna take him to the castle? He used to see carriages like these around town as a kid, but this one put them all to shame.

“Now, this carriage will take you to retrieve your friend and then onward to your destination,” Yusuke explained, gesturing for Ryuji to climb down the outer wall as he spoke. “I do have one warning for you however.”

Ryuji, who had just begun to scale down the vined brick, looked up.

“When the clock strikes midnight, all my magic will disappear, so you must return before then.”

Midnight, huh? That shouldn’t be a problem, considering Ryuji didn’t know how long he could last in a high-class party anyways.

Having reached the ground, Ryuji looked up once more where Yusuke was now seated on the windowsill.

“HEY YUSUKE!” Ryuji called much louder then was probably necessary.

Yusuke looked down at him expectantly.

“Thanks so much! You’re totally amazing!” Ryuji yelled, stepping into the fancy carriage. “I’ll find a way to pay you back, just wait! I’ll even sneak you some rich people food!”

It was hard to tell from down below, but it appeared as if Yusuke chuckled to himself.

“I’ll look forward to it,” Yusuke replied with a smile, waving in Ryuji’s direction.

Once Ryuji was seated, the carriage begun to move and quickly at that.

Looking outside, the guard remained oblivious to anything going on. Yusuke on the other hand, flicked his paint brush dramatically before bursting into what appeared to be snowflakes and vanishing.

Ryuji stared in awe as the house left his view. Today had hands down become the biggest roller coaster of emotions in Ryuji’s life. There were so many thoughts running through his head. Questions for Yusuke that he didn’t get answered, stresses about what was gonna happen after the ball.

One thing stood out above the rest though.

Ann was going to lose her shit when she saw all this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't originally going to have a fairy godmother, but fairy godmother Yusuke was too powerful and I love him.


	3. Chapter 3

Ann’s face when Ryuji pulled up in his decked-out carriage is something he will treasure forever.

The way her face morphed from confusion, to caution when the carriage pulled over, to complete disbelief when Ryuji opened the door to greet her was amazing. She’d been so surprised that even when Ryuji stepped out to get her, she still couldn’t form any words.

It was only when they were moving on their way to the castle that she finally found her voice.

“WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK RYUJI?!”

Ryuji, who up until this point had been patiently waiting for her reaction, barked out a loud laugh.

“I’m serious here Ryuji! You didn’t like, steal all this did you?” she continued, head on a swivel to look at both the new and improved Ryuji as well as the interior of the carriage. “Did you beat up some noble and take his clothes?”

“No way!” Ryuji defended himself, still laughing a little. “You actually think I’d kick someone’s ass and leave them butt-naked on the side of the road?!”

“Well, no… but how else would you get all of this?!” Ann gestured around frantically.

Thinking to himself for a plausible answer, Ryuji settled with, “Let’s just say some guy is renting this to me. I only got it till midnight though.”

Ann didn’t look impressed with the vague response but didn’t push it. She instead moved on to the next important issue she had with this whole situation.

“Why didn’t you get this mystery man to get me anything then?”

“Things were complicated okay! And you look fine, so it’s no big deal.”

“You bet I’m looking fine; I have a girl to impress!”

Ryuji rolled his eyes at his friend’s antics.

Ann looked ready to keep asking questions but seemed to reconsider. She still looked in awe of the whole situation though.

“We have a ball to get to, but I expect the entire story with _detail_ later!” Ann demanded.

“You got it,” Ryuji agreed, knowing the explanation was gonna take some major convincing.

“And you gotta introduce me to your mystery stylist, because anyone who can make you dress like this is a friend of mine!”

“Umm, yeah I’ll do my best,” Ryuji nodded tentatively, unsure how to actually get in contact with Yusuke.

Ann spent the rest of the ride explaining her plan to sweep Shiho off her feet. Ryuji listened along while watching the moving scenery outside. It was easy to tell when they were getting close, given the change from views of a humble village to views of picturesque gardens and architecture.

The gate to the castle was wide open, the sleek metal bars being held open by some unlucky guards unfortunate enough to be stuck with that job.

Any conversation ceased the moment they passed through the gates, getting a real look at the royal palace.

The scale of the castle hit Ryuji like a brick. It was the single most large building he had ever seen, the highest tower seeming to reach the stars above. The stone structure was so clean, that Ryuji cringed imagining the hours of work that must go into maintaining it.

The same rang true for the gardens outside the entrance. The bushes and flowerbeds were intricate and sheared to a tee. A large fountain stood at its centre, flowing like a small waterfall.

Ryuji didn’t even notice the carriage had stopped until Ann was elbowing him to get out. He took a final look around, giving silent thanks for the magic carriage that had gotten them all the way here, before standing up. His first step onto solid ground felt unsteady and Ryuji couldn’t help but feel uncharacteristically small.

A doorman bowed before them, gesturing toward the palace entrance.

“Good sir and madam, welcome to the prince’s royal ball. Please follow the entrance hall to the ballroom,” he explained robotically, but still with impeccable manners.

And just for Ryuji to be treated as an equal to the rest of the guests here instead of something lesser caught him off guard for a moment. Aside from Ann, Ryuji was never treated as a person. He was a tool and a slave, less than human. All these feelings, both good and bad welled up inside him, making him feel heavy.

Ann, thankfully, seem to notice Ryuji frozen to his spot, and grabbed his hand to pull him towards the front door with a thank you to the doorman.

“You okay?” she asked, concern and confusion in her voice.

Ryuji shook his head, taking both hands and smacking his cheeks for good measure.

“Yeah, yeah I’m good,” Ryuji said, nodding. “It’s just a lot.”

Ann hummed in understanding, stopping before the front doors of the palace.

“Are you ready to go in?”

Ryuji looked up at the massive doors adorned with gold accents. He could practically feel Ann vibrating with excitement next to him, and like hell he was gonna make her wait longer just because he felt out of place.

“Hell yeah! Let’s party!”

Ann squealed, pushing the huge door open. Ryuji clutched at the skull mask in his pocket as a small comfort, but couldn’t contain the smile on his face either.

The long hallway was filled with people, decked out to the nines in expensive fabrics and jewelry. The lighting fixtures reflected off the various gold and silver decorations hanging from the walls and ceiling in an eye-catching manner only outdone by the colourful dresses littering the place.

And the hallway was nothing compared to the ballroom.

Ryuji heard himself and Ann audibly gasp at the huge space before them. The room itself was as large as Kamoshida’s whole mansion, but even then, it was still packed. There were people chatting and dancing and laughing. But more than anything the place felt _alive._

Ryuji looked over at Ann who was on her tip toes trying to look through the crowd. It only took a moment to find who she was looking for.

“There she is!” Ann exclaimed at an extra high pitch. “Oh my god she looks gorgeous! Do you see her?”

Ryuji followed where Ann was pointing to a brunette who matched the description of what he’d heard previously. Shiho was wearing a pale blue dress that flowed elegantly as a contrast to Ann’s own tighter red gown.

“Yeah, she looks good,” Ryuji agreed.

“I know, right!”

Ryuji snickered at his love-struck friend.

“Well, time to go win your girl,” Ryuji encouraged. “You can’t screw it up now after going through all this to get me here.”

Ann took a step forward before stopping herself.

“Are you gonna be okay? You can come along if you want?” Ann asked.

Ryuji shook his head. “Nah, I’ll be good. You don’t need me third-wheeling with you all night.”

“But I dragged you here, I’m not just gonna leave you alone.”

Ann was too selfless sometimes. She already brought him here for his own good, and now she was gonna give up on a night alone with Shiho for him.

Well Ryuji wasn’t gonna let that happen. He’d be fine on his own.

“I’ll be fine, really! Gonna go hit up the buffet anyways. But you better hurry or some guy is gonna take your dance.”

Ann looked appreciative. “Fine, but you better let me introduce you two later! And save some dessert over there for me,” she said before speed-walking her way through the crowd. Ryuji caught a glance of Ann holding her hand out as a dance invitation to a delighted looking Shiho before directing himself away from the ballroom entrance.

Squeezing through the crowd was a little tough but not impossible. It was hard not to get sidetracked with so much going on though. There was an orchestral band going through one ear and petty gossip going through the other.

After pushing his way through several groups, Ryuji realized he had no idea where he was going.

A buffet at a party like this should not be this hard to find. Then again maybe they kept the food separate from the ballroom? Should he check up the grand staircase?

It wasn’t at the centre of the room since that’s where all the dancing was going on. All the pairs moving in sync was quite the site to behold. It was kinda amazing how all these people knew exactly where to go without getting in the way of anyone else. Ryuji tried to imagine himself out there knocking into every noble within a ten-foot radius and cringed.

Yeah eating was much more his style.

But even with the dance floor eliminated as a possibility, there were still so many places the expensive food could be hiding.

Sighing to himself, Ryuji decided he would just have to ask someone. However, with all these people chatting, Ryuji didn’t really want to interrupt the larger groups. Mostly because of how snooty they looked, but whatever.

On the edge of the dance-floor, Ryuji noticed a girl holding a drink trying to pull on some guy’s hand.

If she had a drink she could probably point him in the right direction!

Making his way over, Ryuji could hear some of their conversation.

“C’mon just one more dance!” the girl, who with closer observation was absolutely coated in makeup that made her look like a clown, complained.

“I’m sorry, but there are other guests here as well,” the boy explained calmly, though he clearly wanted to get the hell out of there.

“Yes, but I’m much more important than any other guest! I’m sure you can make an exception for someone like me?” the girl urged, fluttering her eyelashes.

He couldn’t really get a look at the guy since he had his back to Ryuji, but he could still imagine the guy’s expression. A wave of sympathy hit Ryuji.

“I’m afraid that’s not how it works,” the boy said. “You have my apologies, miss.”

“WE ARE GOING TO—”

But the girl didn’t get to finish.

“Hey! Sorry to interrupt, but I’m lookin’ for the buffet table, and was wondering if you could help me out?” Ryuji cut-in with no subtlety whatsoever.

The look the girl gave him was full-on murderous.

“It’s behind the pillars over there, now can you leave us alone?! You might be blind, but we are a bit busy!” the girl snapped, pointing towards some grand pillars to Ryuji’s right.

Staring down the clown-girl, Ryuji shot her his own glare.

“Well it looks to me like maybe you should find someone else to be busy with! Ya clearly don’t understand what no means,” Ryuji taunted. “Did they not teach ya that at clown school?”

The girl probably would have gone red in the face had she not been caked in foundation, with the pure rage that radiated off her.

“DO YOU NOT KNOW WHO I AM?” she all but screeched.

“Nope, and I couldn’t care less,” Ryuji retorted immediately.

The look on her outraged face was something Ryuji would treasure for a long time.

“You filthy commoner! I will ruin you!”

Snorting at the empty threat, Ryuji shrugged.

“Yeah, good luck with that,” Ryuji said, turning away before things got any more heated.

He’d usually be angrier at someone like her, but she was just a stupid brat. Ryuji wasn’t here to waste his time with more entitled rich people anyways.

“Don’t you dare walk away from me!” she demanded from behind Ryuji. “You haven’t seen the last of—wait where did my future husband go?!”

The fury in her voice was then directed towards others nearby, demanding they tell her what they knew about her missing partner. Taking a glance around as he made his exit, Ryuji noticed that the poor guy from earlier had indeed made his leave. Smart guy.

Hopefully the guy could find someone decent to hang out with the rest of the night, after having to put up with that. Too bad Ryuji didn’t get a good look at him before he left, maybe they could have been friends.

After all nothing says friendship like bonding over shitty situations.

Well Ryuji had the directions to his main objective, and hopefully saved some poor guy from a terrible night. Two birds with one stone!

Scooting his way past more people, Ryuji didn’t blame himself for not being able to find the food. It was pretty separate from the rest of the festivities, with several servants manning the station to ensure nothing ran out.

Ah, no wonder they hid this so well, they couldn’t have the nobles being able to see hard-working commoners.

Shaking his head, Ryuji took a breath. Today wasn’t the day to think about nobles and their rotten attitudes, he was here to enjoy himself.

Grabbing a plate from the table, Ryuji vaguely registered other people nearby eating tiny portions while they chatted. They didn’t seem to pay Ryuji much mind as he got a full view of his options.

The selection of food was massive and everything Ryuji had dreamed it would be. His original goal had been to try at least one of everything, but that goal seemed like it might be out of reach… Ah screw it, this was a once in a lifetime chance! He was gonna eat until he puked!

“Where did the prince go? How am I supposed to impress him into marrying me if he doesn’t show up,” a nearby guest whined loudly. “I saw him dancing with Lady Mogami, but I don’t see him anywhere now!”

“Like you have a chance. The prince wants someone prim and proper, not like you,” another guest said haughtily.

“Neither of you can match his intellect anyways,” a third guest retorted. “I do hope he returns soon though, he’s barely danced with anyone yet and I traveled so far to meet him.”

Ryuji rolled his eyes at the bickering and continue to pile up his plate. He never thought he’d feel bad for a prince, but this guy sounded like he had it tough. Ryuji also would have tried to escape if he were in the guy’s place.

Ryuji had pretty much hit his max food capacity when he felt someone knock against his shoulder. A few pieces of fancy breads fell to the floor.

“Hey!” Ryuji called, annoyed. “What was that for?”

Turning, he watched as the girl who had knocked into him huff and walk away, saying something about _commoners at a noble party._

Cursing under his breath, Ryuji couldn’t help but say, “Ya could at least apologize.”

Continuing to ignore him, the girl walked over to someone Ryuji recognized immediately.

Just seeing that familiar square jaw made Ryuji’s stomach curl.

Kamoshida, who had been chatting up a couple girls, turned Ryuji’s way at his words. Scrambling, Ryuji pulled out his magic mask and slammed it onto his face harder than necessary in his panic.

He and Kamoshida’s eyes met, and Ryuji could feel himself start to sweat through his clothes. It’s not like he didn’t trust Yusuke, but Kamoshida was standing right there staring at him. Ryuji’s throat closed up as he waited for the older man to storm over and end Ryuji’s life right then and there.

But no. Kamoshida sneered in his direction, and then turned back to the women.

Ryuji gasped out the breath he was holding, and before he knew it, he was making his way to the nearest exit out of the ballroom.

He needed some damn fresh air right now.

A few people watched as he made his way away of the crowds, out of the ballroom and towards the front door, but the guests primarily ignored him. Hopefully Ann wouldn’t be too mad when she couldn’t find him later.

The cool air that hit Ryuji felt like heaven, which only made him notice how stuffy the air inside had been. He looked around to find somewhere quiet to completely cool his head. He walked through a hedged archway and past several maze-like flower exhibits before finally getting out of sight of the front gates.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Ryuji plopped a small quiche into his mouth in celebration. And damn did it taste good!

It may have looked a little odd for him to be alone in the gardens with a huge plate of food, but Ryuji couldn’t really care less. He couldn’t tell if the ball had felt so crowded because he wasn’t used to it anymore or if he would have felt like that regardless.

It was probably less the number of people, and more the number of annoying spoiled rich people. Yeah that was definitely it.

The night was probably as nice as they came, with a light breeze that wasn’t too cold, and a large moon that illuminated the greenery below.

Looking around for a place to sit, Ryuji spotted a singular bench in the middle of a small rock garden. Only the bench was already occupied.

It looked like the garden was less empty than Ryuji had originally thought.

The boy sitting on the bench was dressed up in sleek black and red attire (although Ryuji supposed he was at a royal ball and everyone was dressed nicely.) The gel in his dark locks had lost it’s hold in some places, leaving parts of his bangs to fall forward against his glasses.

Ryuji was glad this guy’s eyes seemed to be focused on the stars, or else he might have noticed Ryuji staring. But he just couldn’t help it. This guy looked so…

Lonely.

Well really good-looking too, but that was beside the point.

Just seeing the almost empty look in this boy’s eyes had Ryuji clenching his teeth. He knew the feeling of isolation all too well and it wasn’t something he wished on anyone.

Maybe he was reading this wrong, and this guy really did want to be alone. But at the chance this guy was feeling anything close to what Ryuji was guessing, there was no way he was going to just leave him here.

So Ryuji took a step forward with a smile.

“Hey there dude!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter the boys finally meet for real! Sorry not sorry for the mini cliffhanger. Hope y'all liked it!


	4. Chapter 4

The night so far had been exactly what Akira predicted.

Namely, it was awful.

The swarm of people vying for his attention at his entrance had been extensive, with many of them grabbing at his hands asking to dance.

Akira had obliged a few of them, listening as they marketed themselves as the perfect match for him while going through the motions of dancing together. Any attempt at a conversation change would result in his dance partner singing his praises so much they sounded like they were talking about some kind of god. In response, Akira would smile his best false smile and move onto the next person.

It was exhausting.

The last girl (whose name he hadn’t bothered to remember) had been even more unbearable than the rest. She was entitled and relentless in her attempts, as if Akira would somehow change his mind if she just kept bothering him. He’d have given anything for the ability to tell her to _fuck off_ , but that would not have turned out well for anyone.

Luckily, he’d been saved by a boy brave enough to tell the girl off. It seemed like someone had finally heard his unspoken cries for help and stood up for him, giving Akira the opening he needed to get out of there.

Akira wished he’d gotten his name, because that blonde boy had done him a greater service than he probably knew. Had the boy not been the only way for him to get out of the crammed ballroom, he would have definitely waited and thanked him properly.

Well, the night was still young, so maybe he could find the blonde later.

But for now, Akira planned to enjoy the quiet he had sneaked through hundreds of people to get.

He had this castle mapped out top to bottom, and Futaba had given him a rundown of possible escape routes before the festivities had started. The garden was determined to be the optimal place where his parents wouldn’t immediately find him and drag him back to the party.

So that’s why Akira found himself sitting on the garden bench, enjoying the company of the stars who wouldn’t compliment his outfit just to get his family’s money.

And Akira was perfectly content spending as much of the night here alone as possible. That was, until he heard someone call out his way.

“Hey there dude,” the voice announced itself nonchalantly.

Akira turned his eyes away from the sky to see a boy, who looked strangely familiar, wearing what appeared to be a skull mask and holding the largest plate of food he’d ever seen. That must have taken some serious skill to balance.

“Uh, hi?” Akira responded, too thrown off by the strange scene before him to sound more polite.

The stranger laughed nervously. “Yeah this might sound weird, and feel free to tell me to eff off if ya wanna be alone, but I got a bunch of fancy food here and ya looked kinda lonely so I thought I’d come over.”

Brain still trying to wrap around what was going on, Akira simply nodded and moved over to make room. The idea of a stranger interrupting his alone time should have annoyed Akira, but for some reason it didn’t. This stranger seemed different from the rest of the people here, and not just because of the mask.

If Akira was anything, it was curious.

The boy smiled at him, and made his way over, causing a few meatballs to fall off the plate in the process.

Once he was seated and the food tower was placed between them, the stranger began to eat like he hadn’t eaten in ten years. Akira just watched on, unsure of whether to join in or if he should say something, as the newcomer continued to eat unbothered. There were no party manners involved in the display, it was almost like this boy had forgotten Akira was there. Or at least it seemed that way until the boy began to speak.

“So, you get tired of all the people inside too?” the stranger asked, mouth partially full.

Akira chuckled at that, feeling himself relax a little.

This boy had no idea.

“I was pretty tired before this ball even started,” Akira answered honestly.

He was grateful the stranger had initiated the conversation, so Akira didn’t have to keep awkwardly watching him eat.

“I feel you there,” the blonde nodded, offering Akira a tart which Akira accepted tentatively. “I mean don’t get me wrong, I was excited to come, but I already feel wiped and I ain’t even danced with nobody. I’m surprised there ain’t more people out here.”

Akira nodded, taking a small bite of his tart.

This boy was… different. But the pure honesty and looseness of the blonde’s actions and words put Akira strangely at ease. He couldn’t remember a time where a stranger had acted this genuinely toward him. It was-- refreshing.

“What’s your name?” Akira asked.

“Oh, I’m Ryuji. Nice to meet ya,” Ryuji answered. “And you?”

Another weird response. Every other noble here was keen to relay their full name and title in hopes that Akira would remember and acknowledge them (spoiler alert, he didn’t), but Ryuji gave only his first name.

Unless… did this boy not know who Akira was? But then why would he be at the ball?

“I’m Akira,” he replied, trying to gauge Ryuji’s reaction.

But there was no shift in posture or realization in Ryuji’s eyes, just a friendly pat on the shoulder. The fact that this boy had no idea whose party he was attending only furthered Akira’s curiosity. He supposed he didn’t make that many public appearances, but everyone else inside had been able to spot him immediately.

He _could_ reveal his identity, but it was nice just being Akira for once and not _His Highness_.

But before Akira could question Ryuji about what he was doing at this ball if not to win over the other nobles and royalty, he had an even more pressing question.

“I have to ask… what’s up with the mask? Unless I got the memo wrong, this isn’t a masquerade ball.”

The way Ryuji’s face morphed from blank confusion to embarrassed panic was almost comical.

“SHIT!” Ryuji yelped, quickly removing the mask from his face, and stuffing it into his back pocket. “Uh, my bad… forgot I was wearing it.”

_He forgot he was_ …

And with that, Akira’s composure was gone, and he was full blown laughing. A real full body laugh, with tears welling up in his eyes. He only stopped when he begun coughing on some of the food he’d been chewing.

“Hey! It ain’t that funny!” Ryuji defended himself, a light blush on his face.

“H-how do you f-forget you’re wearing a _skull mask!_ ” Akira argued, still snickering as he spoke.

“It fits real well okay…” Ryuji tried to explain, but even he started laughing at himself.

“If you say so,” Akira relented. “Who am I to judge your fashion choices.”

“Well excuse me, I hope I didn’t offend your eyes or nothin’,” Ryuji responded sarcastically.

Akira snorted. “I think it suits you, so no harm done.”

“Wha-?” Ryuji sputtered a bit at the compliment.

And Akira meant it. The skull mask, while strange, had matched the rest of Ryuji’s outfit in a way where they were definitely paired together intentionally. It also seemed to suit Ryuji himself, though Akira couldn’t quite explain why. Perhaps it was the almost rebellious look in the blonde’s eyes.

Speaking of his eyes, now that the mask was gone, Akira could get a real look at Ryuji’s face.

And holy shit…

_Ryuji was the same blonde boy who had saved him earlier!_

Akira thought he heard Ryuji mutter something, but he was too thrown off to hear it. How had he not noticed sooner? The mask didn’t make Ryuji look that different but for some reason he hadn’t been able to place his face before. Had Akira been so desperate to escape that he just hadn’t paid attention and could only remember Ryuji’s face now?

Either way, the pure coincidence that Ryuji had once again appeared before him was a little staggering. Had Ryuji followed him? No, Akira had been positive no one had caught him slipping out. And too much time had passed between then and now anyways.

Akira couldn’t help but feel a little on edge though. Don’t get him wrong, he still greatly appreciated everything Ryuji had done for him up until now, but Akira had seen the lengths people had gone to in order to get close to him. He wanted to trust Ryuji, but he also didn’t want to be played the fool.

As much as he hated the predictability of the guests here tonight trying to gain his favour, he preferred them over the ones that had the ability to make Akira _care._ His thoughts wandered briefly to a polite brunette boy he once thought a friend, before his true nature had shown through.

Akira trusted his ability to read people, especially after all these years of practice, and he felt like Ryuji was completely genuine, but just in case…

“So Ryuji, tell me about yourself. What brings you to the royal ball?” Akira asked. “Here to win over the prince?”

It wasn’t that Akira wanted to test Ryuji, but he seemed almost too good to be true. If this was an elaborate act, then Akira wanted to know before he got even more comfortable around the blonde than he already had.

Ryuji scrunched up his face, not bothering to hide his disagreement with the question.

“Nah I ain’t here for the prince, from what I was hearing that guy’s got enough goin’ on. A good friend of mine dragged me here so she could impress some girl.”

Akira nodded at Ryuji’s response. He couldn’t spot anything telling from Ryuji’s answer or body language. Ryuji seemed just as honest as when he’d first approached Akira.

So Akira pushed any remaining doubts to the back of his mind. Ryuji had proved himself to be both brave and kind, and undeserving of Akira’s uncertainty.

“Really? So you’re out here ditching your official wing-man duties then,” Akira joked, leaving his interrogation plans behind.

“Trust me, she doesn’t need my help,” Ryuji laughed. “I guess I’m not _just_ here for her though,” Ryuji admitted.

Akira leaned in, shoulders tensing a little, waiting for Ryuji to expand on the confession.

“I also wanted a shot at the buffet,” Ryuji said. “Ah, I guess that makes me sound like a thief or somethin’ but that’s the truth.”

Akira facepalmed, before bringing his hand to cover the stupid smile he had on his face.

Of course that’s what Ryuji was here for.

“I feel like a thief would try and take something more valuable than the buffet food,” Akira teased.

“Hey, this stuff is so good it should be criminal!”

“Well, when you put it that way, maybe I should report you for your food crimes.”

Ryuji snorted. “Guess that’d make you my accomplice then. Hope ya don’t want to get back to the party anytime soon if we’re both goin’ to the dungeons.”

“If you were going to the dungeons for anything, it would probably be for sassing that noble girl to save some guy you don’t know,” Akira said.

He hadn’t really been planning to say that, but talking to Ryuji just felt so natural that the filter he usually kept firmly on his brain seemed to slip. He didn’t regret it though.

Ryuji opened his mouth to speak, but ended up gaping instead.

There was a pause, where Akira waited for Ryuji to process the information. The explosive response he got was totally worth it.

“THAT WAS YOU?!”

Akira laughed again in response.

“You actually had no idea?” Akira asked.

“I didn’t really see your face inside… but man—that girl was not cool. I had to do something!” Ryuji said, looking upset at the thought. “Well now I’m extra glad I said something, you didn’t deserve that dude.” 

With that, any remaining doubts about Ryuji’s intentions, and the rest of his apprehensions disappeared. His heart swelled at Ryuji’s words, and a big smile formed on his face.

Akira just felt… happy.

“Well I didn’t get to tell you earlier, but thank you,” Akira said, truly grateful.

Ryuji just shook off the words.

“Nah, it’s no big deal.”

“Well I really appreciate it.”

“C’mon dude, it’s fine…”

“You saved me!”

“You make me sound like some kinda hero, but I didn’t do anything special, really.”

Akira wanted to keep arguing that yes, it was a big deal, but decided not to draw things out. That and the stark blush on Ryuji’s face was making his stomach do a weird flip.

Ryuji, who seemed keen on changing to a topic that didn’t involve talking about his heroic deed, cleared his throat before speaking.

“Well Akira, you know what I’m doin’ here, what brings you to this party since ya don’t seem too keen on the party part,” Ryuji asked.

It was almost funny that Akira was feeling like he’d known Ryuji for a lot longer than he really had, but here Ryuji was, asking what Akira was doing at his own party.

Akira found himself second guessing keeping who he was from Ryuji. If he wanted to reveal his identity this would probably be the time. But he just couldn’t bring himself to. He was legitimately enjoying Ryuji’s company and didn’t want to ruin it now. _Oh yeah, I’m the prince and this is my party I’m just ditching_ was too dismissive and definitely wouldn’t go over well.

It’s not like he was really lying. He hadn’t said he _wasn’t_ the prince, so Akira wasn’t going to dwell on it any longer.

“My parents kind of forced me to come, so I didn’t have much choice in the matter. They’re not very good when it comes to listening to my side of things,” Akira said shrugging, telling the truth without disclosing his title. “I mean as long as I don’t ruin their image, they put up with me.”

Ryuji on the other hand, looked completely scandalized and was on his feet in seconds.

“WHAT? Dude that’s not fair. They can’t just go controlling you like that!” Ryuji spoke loudly, sounding a lot angrier than Akira thought he would. “You’re their kid! They shouldn’t treat ya like some servant!”

It felt kind of good to have someone so passionate on his behalf, but Akira didn’t need Ryuji storming into the palace and having a screaming match with the king and queen.

“It’s fine, it’s kind of my duty anyways so don’t worry,” Akira tried to assure him.

“It don’t mean ya should be forced to do shit just cause they’re your parents,” Ryuji argued, but brought his voice back to speaking volume. “I just don’t get why people have to be all controlling without thinking about others. Pisses me off.”

Akira just shrugged. Sure it was frustrating, but things were a bit different when you were a prince.

On the other hand, this topic seemed to hit close to home for Ryuji by the way he spoke, making Akira wonder what Ryuji's home life was like.

“Well I’m still mad you’re here against your will, but I can’t be totally mad at your folks,” Ryuji continued, cutting off Akira's train of thought.

Akira quirked a brow in response.

“What do you mean?” he asked, confused.

Ryuji smiled at Akira.

“Well if they didn’t force ya here I never would have met you, so I can’t be too mad.”

_Oh--_

Wow, Akira had not been expecting that. He knew he was probably staring dumbly at Ryuji, but he’d really just said that.

And Ryuji just sat back down and went back to eating like he hadn’t just said the genuinely kindest thing anyone had ever said to Akira. The words just kept repeating over and over in his mind.

Akira very rarely lost his cool, but he needed a moment to collect himself.

Ryuji said he wasn’t here to win over the prince, so apparently he was just doing it unconsciously.

_Wait…_

Akira blinked, replaying his own thoughts.

_Well shit…_

_He really liked Ryuji…_

The realization should probably have been mind-blowing for Akira, who had never seen himself finding someone at this stupid ball as a possibility. However, he accepted it pretty easily, especially considering all the hesitation he had toward Ryuji earlier.

After having suitor after suitor thrown at him, who would have thought the one to capture his interest would be some loud boy wearing a skull mask. To be fair, the blonde had already done the whole knight in shining armour thing, brought Akira a lavish meal, and was genuinely fun to spend time with.

What more could a prince want?

Although there was still the question of if Ryuji even felt remotely the same. Sure, Akira had made Ryuji blush a few times, but that didn’t mean much.

Well, he wasn’t planning on giving up when this was the only person he’d ever felt this way about. Maybe it was all a little too far-fetched and fairy-tale-like to actually work out, but it was worth a shot.

And if Ryuji didn’t feel the same then he’d back off.

The two of them faded into a short but comfortable silence, Akira still analyzing his new-found crush while they picked away at what was left of the food. The vigor with which Ryuji continued to eat left Akira feeling like a snail slowly consuming leaves in comparison, but that was okay. Ryuji seemed to need the meal more anyways (which did raise a few questions in Akira’s mind, but they could wait for now).

Akira did however, reach for the last dumpling sitting alone on the now mostly empty plate. Ryuji clearly had the same idea, leading to a brush of their hands as Akira successfully snatched the dumpling.

“Oh sorry man, I shoulda asked if ya wanted it,” Ryuji said apologetically.

Akira couldn’t help but smirk at the cute expression, flicking the dumpling like he was flipping a coin up in the air and into his mouth.

“Wow, no need to be such a show-off dude,” Ryuji snorted, but smiled despite his words.

Akira found himself realizing that he liked Ryuji’s smile too, it was bright and infectious in a way a smile had never seemed before.

“It looks like we’re officially out of food now,” Ryuji pointed out. “Man that meat just melted in my mouth dude.”

Meat in his…

Akira had to cough to cover his snort. Clearly this boy did not think before he spoke. It was oddly charming in a way, especially when most people planned what they said to Akira to impress him.

“I hope you appreciate the fact that I’m letting that one slide,” Akira teased.

Ryuji, to his credit, just looked confused, not having picked up on the double meaning to his words. He seemed to think on it for a moment before shrugging and moving on.

“Should we go in and get more?” Ryuji asked, looking sadly at his plate.

“No!” Akira answered a little too quickly.

If they went back in, there was no way he’d escape again, and his time with Ryuji would be over. Call him selfish, but Akira wasn’t quite ready to leave just yet.

“Man, there’s really no one in this whole castle you wanna dance with, huh?” Ryuji joked.

Akira wasn’t sure if Ryuji was asking in a roundabout way, but he wasn’t going to pass up on the opportunity.

“Actually, there is one person,” Akira said smoothly.

Ryuji’s eyes went wide. Whether he was shocked by the implication or just clueless to who Akira was referring to was unclear. Not that Akira was being subtle.

“You should probably ask them to dance then,” Ryuji answered with a small smile, giving Akira some hope that maybe just maybe, Ryuji liked him too.

And what kind of prince would he be not to oblige that request.

Getting to his feet, Akira stepped in front of where Ryuji was still seated. With a proper bow, Akira got down on one knee, holding out a gloved hand to the boy before him.

“May I have this dance?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just noticed we're four chapters in, and Ryuji hasn't said "for real" even once. I am clearly a fake fan.
> 
> I changed up this chapter so many times because I just couldn't decide when to cut it off... I think things turned out okay though!  
> Thanks again to everyone for reading!!!


	5. Chapter 5

It took Ryuji a solid minute to process the scene before him. He even looked behind him to see if maybe he was missing something.

Akira, this cool, funny, handsome guy, was down on one freaking knee asking Ryuji to _dance with him._

Maybe this whole night was some weird fever dream he was having. Maybe Yusuke had actually just drugged him, and he was passed out on his attic floor right now.

(Funny enough Akira wanting to dance with him seemed less likely to Ryuji than the whole magic existing thing.)

As if to ground himself, Ryuji took a closer look at the hand reached out to him. It was adorned by a red glove, with a fancy embroidered symbol on it. It must have been some kind of family crest, but was intricate enough that Ryuji knew he couldn’t be dreaming up anything that detailed.

He refocused on Akira’s face, which held a smile, but looked a little strained since Ryuji still hadn’t accepted his dance invitation.

Finally acknowledging that yes, this was really happening, Ryuji felt the biggest smile make its way onto his face.

Ryuji could have accepted the invitation with an _‘I’d love to,’_ like any normal person would. Emphasis on could have.

“You smooth motherfucker,” is what Ryuji said instead, taking hold of Akira’s hand in the process. You know, like any real gentleman would.

Akira relaxed as he hoisted Ryuji to his feet with a laugh, and placed his other hand on Ryuji’s waist.

Two things went through Ryuji’s head in that moment.

The first being how easy it felt to be with Akira. There was no pressure to act a certain way (which was ironic seeing as he was kind of hiding who he really was), and he could just be himself.

The second being… Ryuji had no idea how to dance.

It hadn’t been anything Ryuji had ever thought about! How was he supposed to know he was gonna end up dancing with someone at this stupid ball? The most he could do was kind of bop side to side. Ryuji vaguely remembers his mom trying to teach him the steps to the royal waltz, but he’d gotten distracted ten minutes in after seeing a grasshopper. His mom hadn’t tried again after that.

Akira on the other hand, looked like a guy who definitely knew his way around the dancefloor (hell, that annoying girl had been begging Akira to dance again), and Ryuji didn’t want to look like a complete idiot.

“You okay?” Akira asked him, probably noticing Ryuji zoning out in favour of trying to figure out what the hell he was supposed to do.

“Yeah… I just don’t really know what I’m doing,” Ryuji admitted.

Akira gave him an understanding nod. There was no judgement there, but Akira didn’t let him go and give up on him either.

“I’ll teach you then,” Akira assured.

Ryuji gulped at the prospect. Yup, he was definitely going to embarrass himself.

“I mean, sure, but how are we gonna dance without any music?” Ryuji asked jokingly, as a distraction.

“Do you want to sing then?” Akira winked.

Ryuji groaned.

“Trust me, you don’t want that!” Ryuji said. “Okay, just show me.”

And Akira obliged. His first two steps were exaggerated and slow, giving Ryuji enough time to match them. Then they repeated the movement at a more natural pace, swaying together with Akira in the lead.

“Hey, this ain’t too bad!” Ryuji cheered, feeling pleasantly surprised. This was already way more fun than he thought it’d be. No wonder there were so many people dancing inside.

“You’re a natural,” Akira encouraged.

Usually Ryuji would be embarrassed at a comment like that, but he was enjoying himself too much to care.

“Well my teacher ain’t half-bad.”

“Thank you, I’m touched. Maybe I’ll start offering classes,” Akira chuckled.

“You better not charge me for this,” Ryuji joked back.

They both laughed a little, continuing to dance while they bantered.

They moved through the garden, finding their own rhythm despite the lack of actual music. Ryuji stumbled a little now and then, but Akira held steady and kept moving like nothing had happened.

It all felt very natural. Holding Akira close, moving together at a matched pace, laughing together when Ryuji had to jump to avoid stepping on an expensive looking flower bed. When Ryuji was finally feeling confident enough to look up instead of staring at his foot placement, he saw Akira’s eyes very firmly on him.

Why someone this beautiful was dancing with him, Ryuji wasn’t sure. He felt damn lucky though.

They started slowing down a little, Ryuji too focused on the length of Akira’s eyelashes to really notice.

Then, with the only warning being a stupid smirk on Akira’s face, Ryuji was being dipped toward the ground. He yelped a little in surprise, throwing both arms around Akira’s neck in support.

Time seemed to freeze, with Ryuji holding onto Akira like a lifeline, while Akira stood firm, showing no indication that holding Ryuji like this was strenuous in the least.

Ryuji didn’t seem to realize the proximity of their faces, until he met Akira’s eyes again. But instead of moving away Ryuji held his head there, face a bright scarlet hue.

Ryuji’s eyes unconsciously flickered to Akira’s lips, and unless he was seeing things, Akira did the same.

“Hey Ryuji,” Akira spoke softly.

He could feel his heartbeat in his throat.

“Yeah?” he whispered, not knowing what else to say.

Was Ryuji reading this right? Did Akira actually--

“Can I—”

But before Akira could ask his question, a new voice rang through the air.

“Your Highness there you are!”

_Oh shit!_

Ryuji immediately released Akira and fell to the ground. Luckily, he hadn’t been far from the ground to begin with, but still landed with an _“ouch!”_

Ryuji quickly got to his feet, turning to the newcomer. She appeared to be a girl with short brown hair dressed in guard attire and a very unimpressed look on her face.

Wait…

Had this girl just called Akira ‘ _Your Highness’?!?_

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you. Your guests are concerned, as are your parents,” the guard spoke. “I suggest we return immediately.”

Your Highness could only mean one person…

“Makoto, could you give us a moment, please?” Akira asked the guard, who looked between them before nodding in understanding.

Feeling like his brain was about to explode, Ryuji stared dumbly at Akira.

Akira, looking surprised in his own right, must have noticed the realization on Ryuji’s face.

“Ryuji I—” Akira started.

“YOU’RE THE PRINCE?!” Ryuji shouted in disbelief, interrupting Akira’s explanation.

No other information was reaching his brain. He continued to stare at Akira, who looked a mixture of worried and guilty _._ Ryuji supposed he should address this guy as _Prince_ Akira now, not just Akira.

God, Ryuji felt like such an idiot. The guard lady, Makoto, was talking again but Ryuji wasn’t even processing anything. He’d almost _kissed_ the prince! Or at least that was how Ryuji had been reading the atmosphere.

But who knew? This guy was royalty! Ryuji wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

Well he was sure that he’d enjoyed hanging out with Akira. He was funny, charming, and easy to talk to. It’d been so long since Ryuji had felt so happy around someone (Ann being the exception of course.)

More than anything, Ryuji just wanted to know how much of tonight had been real…

Apparently the universe didn’t want to allow Ryuji any time for that though, because next thing he knew a loud sound echoed through the gardens. And it was a sound Ryuji was not ready to hear just yet.

_DONG!_

“I can explain,” Akira said, looking extremely guilty.

And Ryuji would love nothing more than to talk this through, but there was no time. The ringing of the clock meant only one thing.

“It’s midnight!” Ryuji all but yelled.

Any sadness in Akira’s eyes morphed into confusion.

“Yes but—”

“I gotta go!” Ryuji said frantically.

_DONG!_

“Ryuji please, just give me a second,” Akira pleaded.

“I’m really sorry, but there’s no time!”

Shit, he really should have been paying attention to the time. But how was Ryuji supposed to guess he was going to meet a handsome stranger who happened to be the effin’ prince, and hit it off? In any case he really couldn’t afford to be found out now.

How ironic that Akira had been hiding his identity, and now Ryuji had to leave to keep his a secret. Ryuji couldn’t even be mad about the lying when he was doing the same thing…

But Ryuji couldn’t afford to be discovered. Hiding that you’re some commoner servant was a little different than hiding that you’re royalty. Either way, he would have to think about this later.

A hand grabbed Ryuji’s wrist as he turned to run.

“Hey Ryuji, just wait a moment, can we talk about this? Please don’t go just yet,” Akira asked, looking so concerned it made Ryuji’s heart squeeze.

“I ain’t mad dude, you were the best thing to happen to me in a long time,” Ryuji said honestly. “But I gotta go!”

_DONG!_

With that, Ryuji pulled his arm free and sprinted out of the garden. He could distantly hear Akira calling after him, but Ryuji didn’t turn around.

He was lucky there were still close to no people outside, making his route out of there that much clearer. Leaping over a couple of smaller shrubs, Ryuji finally reached the stairs leading down to where his carriage would be parked.

He felt more than heard the skull mask fall out of his back pocket and onto the stairs, making him pause for a moment before deciding to abandon the item. It was too bad because he’d gotten a little attached to the stupid mask.

Skipping most of the stairs as he ran, Ryuji spotted his ride, which seemed magically ready to go (literally), waiting for him.

Ryuji could distantly hear other voices behind him now, mixed with the continuous chiming of the clock, but he was in the final stretch. With another two large strides, Ryuji had reached his exit.

Now to see if he could get out of here before it was too late.

Swinging the carriage door open, Ryuji jumped inside, with the carriage beginning to move immediately upon his entry. Sitting up, Ryuji could barely make out the form of Akira standing on the stairs.

As the castle grew distant, Ryuji vaguely registered that he had been Ann’s ride there, and that she was probably still enjoying the party. He’d have to apologize to her later and ask how things with Shiho went.

The carriage continued to move at an insane speed, meaning Ryuji felt extra jolted with every small hole it passed over. When the scenery took a shift from village to forest, Ryuji felt both relieved and a little sad. At least he’d gotten away in time. Slumping in his seat Ryuji started to feel tingly. Looking down, he noticed his clothes beginning to shift.

The sleek black material fizzled away, leaving loose rags in its place, while the accessories and shoes disappeared altogether. Even the soot that he’d been covered in originally returned, like none of this had ever happened.

But if the magic on his clothing was wearing off then what about the…

Ryuji didn’t have time to think before he was hurdling himself out of the moving carriage. He tumbled into a bush, which didn’t hurt too much with the adrenaline pumping through his veins, but it still knocked the wind out of him. Once he caught his breath, Ryuji looked over to see the carriage slow down to a stop before making a popping sound and disappearing.

Well, disappearing wasn’t quite the right word. The large carriage had seemingly been replaced by a small art canvass, which hit the ground with a thud, lying now in the middle of the dirt road.

Getting to his feet and dusting himself off, Ryuji stumbled over to see the canvass had a small painting of the carriage on it. Picking it up, Ryuji examined the painting, looking at all the details of what had been a solid object just moments ago. No matter how many times he saw magic at work, it was still amazing.

As the final traces of magic faded away, Ryuji was left alone in the middle of the street. However, instead of lamenting midnight having come and gone, he found his mind wander to Akira. Between everything that had happened tonight, meeting Akira might have been the most magical part. He’d never clicked with anyone so fast in his life. He’d never felt so at ease to the point that his worries faded away to almost nothing.

He’d never felt so free.

But Akira was a prince, and Ryuji was just some nobody. Things would never have worked out anyways, it just wasn’t meant to be.

So for Ryuji, tonight would just have to remain a bittersweet memory.

He didn’t regret it though. Even if things got worse with Kamoshida when he got back, getting to see Ann’s eyes light up in the fancy ballroom, getting to tell off some pompous-ass noble, eating the food he’d been dreaming about, and of course meeting Akira, were all worth the trouble.

He would treasure this night, and all the shit that came with it. After all, how many people got to say that the prince asked them to dance? Hell, Ryuji even got a private lesson.

Stuffing the miniature carriage painting in his pocket, Ryuji broke into a light jog in the direction of Kamoshida’s house. The night air felt good against his face. It was refreshing to move like this, not at a panicked sprint but fast enough to help clear his head of all the bittersweet emotions running though it.

As the mansion came into view, Ryuji slowed down his pace. To his relief, there were no carriage or horses at the front, meaning Kamoshida hadn’t returned yet.

But there was someone standing at the door.

Wait… Oh shit!

Ryuji dived sideways behind the nearest tree. How could he had forgotten about Kamoshida’s hired guard?!

Well probably because the guard hadn’t really done anything when Ryuji had escaped. But right now might be another story.

Peaking out from behind the tree, the guard didn’t seem to have noticed him yet. The suit of armor the guy was wearing was quite elaborate, but the helmet he was wearing didn’t obstruct his face. Not that Ryuji could get the best view from where he was. But even without being able to see the guy’s face, Ryuji immediately noticed that the guard was not moving at all, or even looking up. His head was drooping forward like a ragdoll.

Was he… asleep?

Unless this was some ploy to look unsuspecting in order to catch his enemies off guard, this guy looked like he was sleep standing.

Taking a few tentative steps out into the open (which was probably an unnecessarily risky idea), Ryuji clenched his jaw and waited for the guard to react. When the armored man remained unmoving in an almost unnatural way, Ryuji made a break for the vines beneath his window.

He clearly didn’t need to run, and could probably even go in through the front door if he so desired with the way the guard was sleeping, but Ryuji wasn’t going to risk it.

Climbing up to his room felt a lot harder than it usually did. Whether that was because Ryuji had run all the way back home, or because of pure mental exhaustion, he wasn’t sure.

When Ryuji finished scaling the wall and was safely in his room, he gave silent thanks to Yusuke who he could only assume had put the guard to sleep with his magic. That or Kamoshida had hired the worst guard of all time. Ryuji was thankful either way.

Staggering over to his bed, another wave of utter exhaustion hit Ryuji. Enough had happened today to fill an entire week at least, so Ryuji was feeling tired enough to sleep for seven days.

But even so, Ryuji’s brain buzzed. It buzzed with the sound of laughter, and swaying awkwardly in a first dance. It replayed stupid jokes and a face too close to his. It murmured thoughts of blushes and audible heartbeats.

The bed squeaked as Ryuji rolled over, familiar but not as grating as it usually was. Exhaling deeply, Ryuji felt the evening breeze from the open window blow over him. If he looked outside at the stars, he could almost imagine he was back there. Back in the garden with warm food and a wonderful stranger.

Back in a place where he was free.

When his eyes finally closed, Ryuji’s thoughts were of raven locks and black-framed glasses.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course I would reference the 'being free is how I feel when talking to you' confidant moment. It's too good not to!
> 
> I would also like to note that with this chapter, this is my third pegoryu fic featuring these bois dancing together. That's three for three baby! I see no issues though.
> 
> A big thanks to everyone reading! I got so many amazing comments last chapter it made me super happy!


	6. Chapter 6

Akira could not sleep after he finally left the party.

Not that the rest of the party hadn’t been the most exhausting bullshit of his life. His parents had had a few choice words for him about disappearing for hours at a time, but he’d been too preoccupied with other matters to care.

Honestly, Akira had felt too much in a daze after Ryuji’s brusque exit to remember much of anything. He vaguely recalls having a bunch of nobles line up to talk to him, and dancing with a few of them but that was about the extent of it. He should probably feel a little bad that he had payed no attention to the people who had travelled from all over the kingdom to meet him, but he couldn’t bring himself to.

What he _did_ care about was figuring out what to do regarding a certain blond he couldn’t get off his mind.

Looking over to his bedside table from where he laid on his bed, Akira’s eyes met the dropped silver skull mask he had picked up off the staircase last night. The mask was so detailed and molded so precisely that when Akira had held it to his own face, it hadn’t even come close to fitting. The absurdity of the object almost made Akira laugh, if not for the fact that its wearer was gone.

Logically, Akira should just accept that it had been a one-time meeting and move on.

But the more he tried to convince himself of this, the more he realized that wasn’t what he wanted.

He wanted more time to get to know the boy he had laughed with and who had made him so inexplicably happy on what was otherwise a miserable night. He wanted to show Ryuji around the castle and introduce him to his friends and laugh at stuffy nobles and maybe share another dance.

Or a kiss…

And if all that was impossible, he wanted to at least apologize for not telling Ryuji who he was from the beginning and explain his reasoning behind it.

Either way, when Akira saw the sun shine through his window the next morning after his sleepless night, he was sure of one thing.

He had to find Ryuji.

Jumping out of bed with energy that should be impossible for someone running on next to zero sleep, Akira threw on some clothes, grabbed the skull mask, made his way out of his room and down the tower stairs.

The attendants who typically got him ready in the morning were going to be shocked that he was up and about at this hour, but Akira didn’t have time to think about them. They’d probably apologize profusely for failing to do their job properly, in which Akira would have to assure them it was fine. Hopefully they wouldn’t start waiting outside his room at ungodly hours in case he was up before sunrise again.

Speed-walking through the castle got him some weird looks, but no one stopped to question him. They must have noticed his determined look, because no one tried to start up any small talk either.

Reaching Sojiro’s office in record time, Akira entered, grabbed a cup of coffee, nodded at Sojiro, and left the office without a word. Sojiro raised an eyebrow at him before muttering something like, “my kids are such weirdos,” and getting back to work.

Now with a cup of coffee in hand, Akira made his way to his real destination. Passing through the courtyard and out of the main palace, Akira reached the gate to some of the castle’s branch buildings. It was quite a walk there, but Akira was very familiar with the route.

Finally getting to his goal, Akira knocked firmly on the door decorated in various trespassing warnings.

“Who approaches my abode?” Akira hears from the other side.

“Your favourite tower dweller,” he responds.

Akira hears a bit of a scramble from inside the room before hearing an, “Enter.”

Taking a swig of coffee, Akira made his way inside where he was greeted by sleek orange hair and a floor littered with books.

Futaba was practically vibrating in front on him.

“You’re up early,” Akira remarked, making his way to sit on the small bed in the corner of the room.

Futaba snorted. “Look whose talking, mister ‘if I could sleep until noon I would’! And can you blame me? I’ve been waiting to hear about all the party gossip all night!”

“Well you were invited,” Akira retorted.

“Haha very funny,” Futaba rolled her eyes. “Anyways, something big must have happened if you’re here this early. I mean I heard a few things from my _sources,_ but nothing that good.”

Futaba Sakura, despite being somewhat of a social recluse (or at least when it came to nobles and adults she didn’t know), was the queen of information. Akira didn’t know how she seemed to know everything about everything and anybody, but he was pretty sure she could put plenty of scholars to shame.

Akira was well educated and good at retaining the information he learned, but Futaba was on another level. This extended to her knowing the castle gossip. And while some may not find this as impressive as her technical knowledge, this ability had once stopped an attempted regicide, so no one really complained about Futaba’s insane pool of information.

So as his friend and practically his sister, Futaba was the perfect person for Akira to rant to. And the perfect person to help him find Ryuji.

“Actually, before I get to all the terrible people I was forced to interact with, I have a favour to ask,” Akira said seriously.

Futaba raised a curious eyebrow. “Wow, his royal highness wants a favour from me? I’m honoured,” she mock bowed. “Wait let me guess!”

Akira would much rather just get to the point, but he supposed he could humour her. She was never going to guess anyways.

“Go for it,” Akira replied simply.

“You want dirt on some asshat you met at the ball so we can exile them from the kingdom?”

“Nope.”

“You want a way to calm the king and queen down since they’re mad at your behaviour from yesterday?”

Well that wasn’t totally wrong, but not why Akira was here.

“Wrong again.”

“You want to crash here for a bit to avoid the guests who still haven’t gone home yet?”

“Not quite.”

Futaba seemed almost stumped after that one. She squeezed her head a little as if that would somehow help her think harder. The next guess came out as more of a joke than anything.

“What, d’you fall in love and need relationship advice now?”

Futaba laughed at her own joke until she saw the blush on Akira’s face. He wouldn’t say he was in _love,_ but he did like Ryuji a lot.

“WAIT, WHAT?!?” Futaba yelled, almost falling over as she screamed.

Akira couldn’t even blame the pure shock on Futaba’s face, given he was still sort of shocked by it himself.

“I don’t really need relationship advice, but I do need you to help find him for me,” Akira explained, still a little red in the face.

“Wait, backup. I need the details on the guy who managed to sweep _you_ off your feet! And what do you mean you need me to find him? Did you scare him off or something?” Futaba’s questions were rapid fire. “Do you need me to give him the shovel talk?”

Sighing at how this conversation had turned into an interrogation (even if he should have expected it), Akira still found himself smiling.

“He’s just… special, okay? I’ll tell you everything after you help me out,” Akira said, not wanting to sound like a fool gushing over some guy he just met.

Looking a little annoyed, Futaba begrudgingly said, “Fine, fine, but you’re not getting out of this. I’ll find your boyfriend and then make him talk myself heh heh.”

Getting to her feet Futaba scrambled through her desk for some parchment and a quill. The paper she chose already had a bunch of doodles and notes written on it, but Akira wasn’t going to remark on it.

“Okay, first, what’s this guy’s name?” Futaba asked, already writing something at an inhuman speed.

“Ryuji,” Akira answered.

Futaba looked up and arched a brow.

“Last name?”

“I don’t know.”

There was a pause and then—

“How am I supposed to find this guy without knowing his last name?!” Futaba demanded. “The family name is what narrows the search to begin with!”

Akira shrugged.

“I don’t know, I thought you’d think of something.”

Groaning in frustration Futaba pushed up her glasses.

“Of course I’ll think of something, this just complicates things a lot. I can’t just send out notices the prince is looking for some guy named Ryuji. Everyone and their mothers’ will show up claiming to be him, and I don’t think you really want to deal with more crowds of people,” Futaba explained. “Plus, you’re the only one who knows what this guy looks like, so you’d need to check them all personally. Not an efficient search method.”

She was absolutely right. Well if Akira had to he would turn away a hundred imposters if it meant the real Ryuji did show up. But he hoped there was an easier way than that.

“Is there anything else you have on the guy? Anything that could narrow the number of people that would claim to be him?” Futaba asked.

Akira pondered that for a moment. There was Ryuji’s appearance. Blonde hair wasn’t super common around these parts, but that didn’t seem the best way to find Ryuji either. Aside from his name and appearance the only other thing he had of Ryuji’s was…

Reaching into his pocket, Akira grabbed the skull mask and held it out for Futaba to see.

Taking the mask carefully in her hands, Futaba traced the details of both the inside and outside of the object. She then held it to her face momentarily before bringing it back down to look again.

With a final examination, Futaba looked up to meet Akira’s eyes with a clever grin on her face.

“I have a plan.”

***

It’d been three days since the ball, and routine-wise things had gone relatively back to normal for Ryuji.

Despite Kamoshida’s threats before the ball, only one new precaution had been put in place to stop Ryuji from ‘stealing.’ That being Ryuji would now be locked in his room after finishing his chores everyday. It was a bit annoying knowing he lived in even _more_ of a prison, but what could he do?

Kamoshida had even made Ryuji shear off all the vines on the outside of the mansion, making any potential escape that much harder. It wouldn’t be impossible, and if Ryuji really had to get out of there, the small foot holes in the bricks, while precarious, were still a valid option.

Honestly, nothing was all that different from before. It would have been a hell of a lot worse if Ryuji had been caught the night of the ball (Ryuji would probably just be dead), so he was grateful that things had turned out the way they did.

But even with things not being unbearable, Ryuji couldn’t help feeling… _emptier_ now.

He had finally tasted freedom, and it was gone just like that. It wasn’t like Ryuji felt ungrateful for the time he’d been given, but now that he’d tasted nectar it was hard to go back to muddy water.

And when he did try to distract himself, his traitorous brain would wander back to the damn prince! It felt stupid to wish he could just talk with the guy again, but he didn’t seem to control his thoughts. Ryuji would wonder what the prince was up to. Did he dance with a bunch of other people after Ryuji had left? Did he find someone? Did he remember Ryuji at all? The questions were useless since he’d never have the answers, but Ryuji couldn’t help it.

Sitting on his bed, Ryuji thought briefly of what had happened to his mask. It had probably disappeared like the rest of the magic stuff from that night, but imagine all the havoc Ryuji could wreak if he still had it.

His thoughts were interrupted by a familiar _thud_ against his window, which sounded extra loud today from where Ryuji was seated. It was rare for Ryuji to be in his room this early in the day, but Kamoshida had sent him away early, which was lucky for him he supposed.

Ryuji hadn’t seen Ann since the party, but it seemed she’d finally found a good time to come by.

Watching a second pebble hit the window, Ryuji couldn’t help but wince. He wasn’t sure what Ann’s reaction was going to be after he left without a word three nights ago, and after he’d promised to meet Shiho too. Hopefully Ann had a good enough time that she wasn’t too mad.

Opening his window, Ryuji looked down to notice Ann was not standing where she usually hid behind the tree. She was standing smack-dab at the base of the building.

Feeling a swell of panic for her sake, Ryuji couldn’t help but whisper-shout at her.

“What the hell are you doing down there!?”

Ann seemed to ignore his question completely and instead wound her arm up and threw something directly at Ryuji’s head.

“Hey!” he yelled, using his arms to shield himself.

But instead of being hit with a rock like he’d been expecting, a crumpled-up piece of paper hit him instead. It fell to the ground in a tight ball.

Ryuji looked back down at Ann, who had an eager and expectant look on her face.

“What was that for?” Ryuji asked, although he was pretty sure Ann was just mad about the party.

“Well?” Ann prompted, instead of answering him. “Seems like you had a pretty good time at the ball, huh?”

Ann wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, hinting at something with excitement in her eyes. Ryuji just looked at her, not really sure what he was supposed to say.

“Uhh… I’m sorry about ditching you at the ball. I kinda lost track of time…” Ryuji apologized slowly, in case that was what Ann was hoping to hear. “I’ll make it up to ya somehow.”

If Ann’s groan meant anything, Ryuji had definitely misunderstood.

“No, idiot, don’t worry about that! We can talk about the ball later,” Ann yelled in an almost frantic tone. “It’s you, isn’t it? The person it’s talking about on the royal decree? I mean, I thought I saw you with a weird mask in the carriage.”

Royal decree? Ann seemed to have forgotten that Ryuji had zero access to information like new laws and shit.

Noticing Ryuji’s continued confusion, Ann quickly said, “The royal decree on the paper I threw at you!”

Finally understanding what was probably obvious, Ryuji reached down to grab the crumpled ball when he was interrupted by a loud knock at his door.

“SAKAMOTO! WHAT’S GOING ON IN THERE?” Kamoshida’s voice echoed into his room.

_Shit!_

He stuffed the paper into his pocket, looking back outside to where Ann seemed to had also heard Kamoshida’s angry voice. Ryuji gave Ann an apprehensive look, silently motioning for her to get away from here as quickly as possible. She looked both frustrated and apologetic, walking slowly away from the house like she was trying to decide whether to stay or go.

Having no time to make sure she escaped in time, Ryuji slammed the window closed and jumped to move away from it before his door was unlocked, followed by a suspicious looking Kamoshida.

“What the hell are you up to, you piece of shit,” Kamoshida spat, gazing around the room for anything out of place.

“Uh, I was just yelling at some birds,” Ryuji said, trying not to wince at his lie.

Kamoshida sneered at him, before stepping toward the window and looking outside.

Tensing up, Ryuji crossed his fingers that Ann had gotten away in time.

After a couple seconds, Kamoshida turned to meet Ryuji’s eyes once again, with the same suspicious look on his face. That was at least enough to tell Ryuji that Kamoshida hadn’t caught Ann. He would’ve looked way angrier if he had.

Ryuji had a sarcastic remark on the tip of his tongue, but kept quiet, hoping it would get Kamoshida out of his room faster.

But instead of leaving, Kamoshida reached into the pocket of his trousers, and retrieved some kind of key.

“What the hell are ya doing now?” Ryuji couldn’t help but antagonize. So much for keeping quiet.

Kamoshida ignored Ryuji, turning and locking the window shut, while Ryuji looked on in disbelief.

“I can’t have you being a loud annoyance today, I have a very important guest coming by, brat! And if I pull this off, I’ll finally be getting the recognition I deserve!” Kamoshida explained loudly. “So I’m afraid I can’t afford for you to be yelling at fucking birds and making _me_ look bad.”

Ryuji growled, not knowing what the hell Kamoshida was talking about, but not liking what was happening one bit.

“The only recognition you deserve, is for people to know what a piece of garbage you are!”

Kamoshida raised a hand, the rage on his face unmistakeable, but instead of swinging like Ryuji had been prepared for, Kamoshida took a breath and schooled his expression.

“I don’t have time for you right now. You’ll get what’s coming to you later,” Kamoshida hissed, leaving the room, and locking it behind him.

Ryuji clenched and unclenched his fist, trying to release some of the pent-up hatred he got just from being in the same room as that asshole.

He tried not to stress about the window being locked, but the fact that there was literally no way out was scary as hell. Instead, Ryuji tried to convince himself that Kamoshida would unlock it after this guest was gone and he finished whatever stupid scheme he was up to.

He had to! Or else Ryuji wasn’t sure what he was going to do…

Reaching into his own pocket, Ryuji grabbed the paper Ann had thrown at him earlier, almost more as a distraction now than anything. Well he was curious about its’ contents as well. Ann had seemed to think this paper was talking about him, but Ryuji couldn’t imagine what for.

Was he in trouble? Ann had looked almost unnaturally excited, so Ryuji didn’t think that was the case.

Well only one way to find out.

Unfolding the white parchment, Ryuji’s jaw hit the floor before even reading the first sentence.

At the top of the page, was an ink drawn image that looked like Ryuji’s mask!

Eyes now glued to the page, Ryuji read through the notice.

_‘By Royal Proclamation-_

_All loyal subjects are hereby notified, that in regard to a certain silver mask, it is upon this day declared that a quest be instituted throughout the kingdom. The owner of this mask is requested to please step forward as per request of the Royal Prince, who wishes to offer up his express interest in courtship with the subsequent party himself. All others who know additional information about the mask owner will receive compensation upon the revelation of relevant information. The King’s Advisor and/or a member of the royal court will visit and question any who fit the above two descriptions._

_Note: As proof of ownership claims, the person must adorn the aforementioned mask and have it fit seamlessly’_

Ryuji read the decree again. And then a third and fourth time, just to make sure he hadn’t seen it wrong the first two times.

When the words didn’t happen to magically change, Ryuji felt the paper slip out of his hands as his brain short circuited.

Akira… the Prince… wanted to… _court_ him?

Even after Ryuji had ran out on the guy? Even though he had nothing to his name, and debt on top of that?

Oh shit… Akira didn’t know that part. He probably thought Ryuji belonged to some type of high-class family with how he’d been dressed the day of the ball. And if by a miracle, Akira didn’t care about something like status, he deserved better than a servant like Ryuji.

Ryuji wasn’t up to being courted by royalty on any level. His education was limited, he had zero political connections, little to no knowledge of the kingdom, and he didn’t even want to think about the discrepancy between how Akira looked compared to himself.

But a selfish part of Ryuji felt so damn elated that apparently Akira had been thinking about Ryuji as much as Ryuji had been thinking about him. It meant that the happiness he’d felt chatting and dancing with the prince hadn’t meant nothing.

Clearly he’d done something right if the prince was so intent on finding Ryuji that he’d made it a royal proclamation.

Feeling conflicted, Ryuji moved toward his now locked window to look outside.

He laughed sadly, realizing that none of it mattered today anyways. He was trapped in his room with no way of stepping forward as the mask owner even if he wanted to. Ryuji’s eyes drifted to the familiar scenery around him. The same old trees blew in the wind. Kamoshida’s stable looked as unused as ever. The weeds grew through the forgotten stone pathways.

And this hell made Ryuji as miserable as ever.

But just outside this window was a possible happy ending for Ryuji, so why was he even hesitating?

Even if Akira did reject him upon learning Ryuji’s real identity, it was worth meeting him one last time. To thank him for caring enough to seek Ryuji out; for making Ryuji feel like he was worth something. To feel that freedom again.

A rush of determination swept through Ryuji, leaving him with an abnormal amount of spare energy. He didn’t want to wait around watching his life pass him by anymore.

He had to get out of here.

But before Ryuji could start devising a plan, he caught the sight of a new carriage approaching. The horses that pulled it were adorned in gold, as were the features of the ride itself. As the carriage got closer, Ryuji noticed a very familiar symbol painted on the side of the door. It was the damn crest Akira had been wearing on his gloves the night of the ball!

And that meant that the visitor Kamoshida was trying to impress was…

Ryuji vaguely wondered what Kamoshida was planning to do with who was probably the Kingdom’s advisor, but there were more pressing matters to attend to.

It looked like Ryuji was going to have to come up with an escape plan faster than he’d thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yooooo happy last day of pegoryu week to everyone! Sorry for how long this chapter took! I was a bit busy with my other pegoryu week fic, but I promise the next chapters will not take as long as this one did!
> 
> Anyways, another huge thanks to all you readers! Hope this chapter was to your liking!


	7. Chapter 7

Akira grumbled lightly to himself as they pulled up to the latest house claiming to have information on Ryuji’s whereabouts.

It’d been almost three days since the official proclamation had been released and so far all they’d gotten were people pretending to be Ryuji (who were always immediately discovered since the mask never fit them properly), or others saying they knew who Ryuji was but then couldn’t even vaguely describe him.

At least this was what Sojiro had told him.

When Sojiro had begrudgingly accepted his role in finding Akira’s mystery boy, he’d made it very clear that he wanted to question these people alone. He’d delegated a few other court members to widen the search, but Akira was not to be involved in any of the questioning. Akira found this a tad ridiculous, given he actually knew what Ryuji looked like, but there had been no convincing Sojiro.

Akira being present was apparently a safety hazard, and his parents weren’t willing to spare the soldiers ‘required’ to keep him safe.

At the very least, Akira had convinced Sojiro to allow him to come along and be called upon if Ryuji was found.

Which meant Akira had spent the past few days sitting in the back of a royal carriage, wearing a black cloak and his own mask to throw off anyone who might see him when the carriage doors opened. It was incredibly frustrating to just sit by and wait for disappointment after disappointment.

A part of Akira had thought Ryuji would shown himself right away after the proclamation was sent out, but that was clearly not the case. He didn’t blame Ryuji though, given how he’d lied to him, but was determined to find Ryuji and explain everything in person, no matter how tedious it was.

“Who’s this one?” Akira asked Sojiro, who was writing some final notes before he could exit the carriage and meet the newest informant.

“Suguru Kamoshida. Claims he knows a boy he’s seen wearing the mask before. Says he’s the kid’s mentor or something?” Sojiro replied. “Think he said the kid’s name was Mishima or something?”

Akira groaned in frustration.

“Then why are we here? I’ve told you his name is Ryuji; this is just another scam.”

Sojiro sighed. “Yeah, I know. But Kamoshida is pretty highly regarded by people around here, and you never know whether Ryuji was just an alias the masked boy was using. We’re already here so I might as well look into it.”

Akira was confident that Ryuji had not been lying about his name, and that this was just another dead end, but he wasn’t going to argue with Sojiro about it.

It would be another place crossed off the list, Akira supposed.

“Well, let me know how things go,” Akira said.

Sojiro nodded, getting to his feet.

“Will do, kid.”

Akira watched Sojiro exit the carriage and make his way toward the front door of the large house, where he was greeted by a taller man with the sleeziest fake smile Akira had ever seen. The two then entered the mansion, and out of Akira’s line of sight.

Yup, definitely a waste of time.

But Akira did as he was told and stayed put. Leaning against the wall of the carriage, Akira took stock of the surroundings. This place was removed enough from the rest of town that there were no other houses in sight. Instead, the woods stood tall as the mansion’s only neighbour.

Akira watched a pair of birds flit over from tree to tree, chasing each other. It seemed peaceful around here, or at least it was until a noise broke Akira out of his trance.

Three loud knocks on the carriage door had Akira’s head whipping toward the source. Standing there was a girl with blond pigtails and a concerned look on her face.

Without much time to think, Akira slowly opened the carriage door.

“Can I help you?” Akira asked, keeping a face of neutrality.

“Are you here from the palace?” the girl asked, skipping any proper introduction. Her blue eyes bore into Akira with a single-minded determination.

“Yes,” Akira said, waiting until this girl explained what was happening to say anything further.

Apparently that was the answer the girl had been looking for, because her face lit up. It only lasted a moment though, before she schooled her expression back into one of more serious focus.

The pigtailed girl then took a deep breath.

“I know who you’re looking for, and he needs our help.”

***

Ryuji was the perfect example of a don’t think about the consequences until it’s too late kind of guy. So being trapped in this attic with all exits locked, and some visitor from the Kingdom here looking for _him,_ Ryuji only had one real idea.

And yes, this idea was very liable to ruin both his life and potentially even his mom’s, but Ryuji was already grabbing the bedside table and smashing his window before his brain had gotten that far. The only thing actually going through his head was getting out of here to prove his identity before it was too late.

So with glass scattered at his feet, Ryuji maneuvered himself the best he could over the now jagged windowsill. He could feel the light crunch of glass beneath his feet and winced a bit at the feeling. Taking a glance down at the vineless brick exterior wall, Ryuji took a quick survey of the best path to the ground before dusting aside some glass shards to make room for an arm-hold.

Lowering himself down until he was hanging loosely from the side of the building, Ryuji used his legs to feel around for footholds. Had he not been in the biggest hurry of his life, Ryuji would have probably spent more time settling into each crevice before moving on. But that wasn’t the case, and as soon as Ryuji felt even the possibility of a potential foothold, he was moving downwards.

The brick was not particularly comfortable on his bare feet, especially with a few glass cuts on them already.

With every successful move, Ryuji felt more daring. The transition from each foothold got faster and faster and the holes he fit his feet into got smaller and smaller. This worked until Ryuji was about three metres off the ground, where the brick around Ryuji’s left foot crumbled away enough for him to slip.

Falling backwards, Ryuji grunted as he landed on his right leg and rolled backwards over his shoulder to lessen the impact slightly. That didn’t mean his right leg didn’t hurt like absolute hell.

“Goddammit!” Ryuji hissed, grabbing his knee in pain.

Shaking his head to refocus himself, Ryuji gritted his teeth and pushed himself off the ground. His leg still hurt but it was bearable enough to put a little weight on, to Ryuji’s relief. At least it wasn’t broken.

But there would be time to check out the injury later.

Ryuji ran, with only the slightest limp, toward the front door. He could make out Kamoshida’s and another man’s voices inside, but didn’t wait to listen to what they were saying before throwing the door open.

Two pairs of eyes were on him instantly, one of which looked startled while the other was filled with absolute malice.

Ryuji opened his mouth to explain himself, but couldn’t find the words between his panting breaths.

“And uh, who are you?” the stranger asked Ryuji, confusion visible in his features.

“He’s no one!” Kamoshida answered with the fakest laugh Ryuji had ever heard. “Just some good for nothing stray I have working for me. I’m very sorry he interrupted us.” Kamoshida took a step toward Ryuji. “But he’ll be leaving now, isn’t that right?”

Kamoshida’s eyes poured into Ryuji, the warning clear in his tone. This would be Ryuji’s last opportunity at even the smallest chance of forgiveness.

With a broken window, and the defiance of a direct order, if Ryuji didn’t leave right now, he knew no punishment would be enough. Kamoshida wouldn’t rest unless Ryuji was miserable, and the prospect of debt repayment would be but a faraway dream.

If he didn’t listen to Kamoshida in this moment, he couldn’t stay here any longer. Ryuji would have to find his mom and apologize all over again for ruining their lives. They would skip town, find some new back-alley to call home, and probably stay there for the rest of their short lives.

Ryuji’s decisions were only now catching up to him, and yet… he remembered smiling and laughing and actually _living_ for a solitary night with an amazing person. And now that person wanted to find _him!_

He knew he was a worthless idiot of a son, and he would get on his knees to beg his mother’s forgiveness, but Ryuji had to do this.

Because if he didn’t, he could never forgive himself.

“No, I’m not leaving!” Ryuji declared loudly, watching as the vein on Kamoshida’s temple popped out angrily.

The royal advisor, or whoever he was, raised an eyebrow at the scene before him, stroking his beard lightly as he observed.

“Do you have any business regarding the royal decree then?” the bearded man asked.

“Yes I do--” Ryuji began. “No he most certainly does not!” Kamoshida seethed, stopping Ryuji before he could finish his statement. “He has no business here.”

“That ain’t up to you!” Ryuji challenged.

Kamoshida took another step toward Ryuji and leaned forward.

“If you know what’s good for you, you will return to your room and hope the death I grant you will be swift,” Kamoshida whispered, then turned back to the royal advisor and said, “Sorry again about the boy here. He is quite troubled and doesn’t understand when he’s unwanted. He’ll be going now.”

“I’d like to hear what the boy has to say actually,” the advisor said firmly.

“But Sir Sojiro! I would not want to waste your time!” Kamoshida said on the verge of pleading. “There’s no need to humour this brat.”

If this was Kamoshida trying to further his reputation, he was doing a piss poor job. Disobeying the words of a Kingdom official was not going to get him anywhere.

“With all due respect, the only one wasting my time right now is you. Did you honestly think you could trick me with your poorly thought out story? You say this Mishima is who we’re looking for, but you can’t even tell me when you saw him wearing the skull mask?” Sojiro said, making Kamoshida flinch from where he stood near Ryuji. “So, since you have nothing valuable for me, and could very well be tried for purposeful deception against the throne, I suggest you let the boy speak.”

Ryuji felt almost as taken aback as Kamoshida looked.

No one had ever talked back to Kamoshida before. He was sleazy and awful, but people seemed to respect him. All the visitors who came by sung his praises and agreed with any opinion the bastard had. For someone to come here and see through all of Kamoshida’s bullshit…

Well, Ryuji was feeling a lot right now.

“I—” Ryuji swallowed, feeling overwhelmed and a bit put on the spot after seeing Kamoshida get so thoroughly shut down. “It’s me,” Ryuji managed to say.

Sojiro looked at him quizzically, trying to make sense of the vague statement.

Kamoshida, who until now had been shaking in rage and embarrassment, seemed to understand what Ryuji was saying immediately.

“Impossible!” Kamoshida yelled in disbelief. “You were locked up here, I made sure of it! And even if you went to the royal ball, no one would even look at trash like you!”

Ryuji let out a bitter laugh.

“Guess you should hire a better jail-keep next time you wanna trap someone in your damn attic,” Ryuji mocked, holding back the more ‘choice’ words he had for Kamoshida.

“You’re lying! You have to be!” Kamoshida accused. “This is all a set-up to get back at me!”

“Hate to tell ya this, but not everything’s about you!”

The comment had Kamoshida boiling where he stood, but no retort came through his clenched teeth.

Sojiro, who was watching the exchange warily, a hand hovering over his sword handle in case things got violent, seemed to have put together what was happening. He directed his question to Ryuji.

“So, you’re the boy the prince is looking for?”

There was a silent exchange in the room. Sojiro reached into his pocket and retrieved a very familiar item that he gestured for Ryuji to take, while Kamoshida’s stare sent daggers his way. Kamoshida had sent him plenty of murderous gazes in the past, but this one was almost strong enough to send shivers down his spine.

Almost.

“Yup, I’m the one, and that’s my mask. I’ll prove it to you!”

Ryuji took a confident step toward Sojiro, ignoring the persistent aching in his leg.

But he didn’t make it far, the mask still well out of reach when a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks. It squeezed threateningly, ripping what was left of his sleeve. Ryuji whipped his head around sharply to meet Kamoshida’s eyes.

Ryuji shouldn’t be surprised by Kamoshida’s behaviour, but the man gained nothing by stopping him at this point. In Kamoshida’s desperation to stop Ryuji, he was inadvertently ruining things for himself. The bastard had been pushed past his limit and had dropped his polite noble act a while ago, but now his truest colours were showing in front of the kingdom’s _royal advisor._

Looks like karma did exist, even if it was a couple years late.

“Let me go!” Ryuji snapped, trying to shove Kamoshida’s hand away.

“I’ll kill you,” Kamoshida seethed, nails digging further into Ryuji’s shoulder.

With no hesitation, Ryuji swung a fist at Kamoshida’s face, only for it to be caught by Kamoshida’s other hand.

Sojiro unsheathed his sword and took a step forward, ready to intervene, only to stop when a loud voice came from behind Ryuji at the mansion’s entrance.

“Let him go!”

The whole room froze momentarily, Kamoshida in disbelief that yet another unwanted person had shown up, and Ryuji in shock of the familiarity of the voice. They may have only spoken for a single evening, but Ryuji recognized the newcomer immediately, and it only took a look over Ryuji’s shoulder to confirm it.

Akira stood in the doorway, a quiet anger on his face. Only he didn’t look like he had at the ball. And by that, Ryuji was referring to the long black cloak and the white mask adorned with black detailing. It was completely different than the dress clothes Ryuji had seen him in before, but they suited him somehow.

Ryuji felt a wave of relief wash over him at Akira’s arrival. Akira would confirm his identity and Kamoshida would have to back the fuck up, since the prince was here. It looked like things were actually going to turn out.

“Who the hell do you think you are giving me orders, brat?” Kamoshida snarled. “This is my house, this kid is my property, and I can do whatever the hell I want!”

Ryuji gaped at Kamoshida. This man, who would do whatever it took to climb the social ladder, was backtalking the crown prince? It made no sense! Unless…

Kamoshida didn’t recognize Akira. He had no idea who he had just called a brat.

Akira also looked somewhat taken aback by the words, but recovered quickly.

“I’m afraid that’s not quite how the law works, so you might want to really think about your next move here,” Akira said, the threat present in his words.

At that, Kamoshida did release Ryuji, before shoving him into the nearest wall with a crash. Ryuji held up his arms to shield himself from the framed portraits that were falling off the wall from the impact. Akira looked ready to run to Ryuji’s side, but was stopped when Kamoshida began to stalk himself toward the prince, having clearly lost any remaining composure.

“Oh, I already have a punishment for my fucking slave planned that I’d gladly let you join in on. Otherwise I suggest you leave… NOW,” Kamoshida demanded.

“The only person getting punished here is you, and it’s only going to be harsher if you refuse to turn yourself in quietly,” Akira retorted, with his own murderous gaze to match Kamoshida’s.

“I’m not about to be lectured by another backtalking piece of shit!” Kamoshida yelled, raising his fist.

Akira stood his ground and dodged the punch Kamoshida threw his way with relative ease. This only seemed to enrage Kamoshida more, who continued with an onslaught of fists. Akira got grazed by one or two, but was able to stay relatively out of range.

Ryuji, however, wasn’t going to just sit and watch.

“You bastard!” Ryuji shouted.

Jumping to his feet with no thought to his injuries, Ryuji dashed towards Kamoshida and slammed into him, knocking them both to the floor. Kamoshida, who had not been ready for the attack from behind, whipped his head back, only for it to slam painfully against the wooden floorboards.

“Ryuji!” he heard Akira call after him.

Kamoshida struggled against Ryuji, attempting to kick him off. Ryuji shifted to avoid Kamoshida’s flailing limbs, and in retaliation, finally landed a fist to Kamoshida’s face. Now with the man temporarily dazed, Ryuji was able to get him somewhat pinned. Kamoshida began to struggle again, but ceased all movements when he found a sword pointed at his throat.

“I suggest you surrender, unless you’re looking to die today,” Sojiro threatened, pushing the blade into Kamoshida’s skin slightly. “But considering you’ve already attacked his Royal Highness, I wouldn’t discount that possibility.”

The utter horror in Kamoshida’s eyes when he realized what Sojiro had said was enough to have tears building up in the man’s eyes. But aside from those tears falling down his face, Kamoshida seemed frozen, both physically and verbally.

This gave Ryuji the opportunity to crawl away from the man, while Sojiro kept him cornered. He scuttered away, his chest heaving almost painfully as the adrenaline continued to course through his body.

“Ryuji, are you okay?” Akira asked, running toward him, and kneeling down.

Akira placed a steadying hand on his back, allowing Ryuji to sit comfortably.

“I’m totally fine, don’t worry about me,” Ryuji assured, still in a bit of a daze. “But are you okay? The bastard was going at you pretty hard.”

In response, Akira just gave him a hard stare, eyes raking over Ryuji’s body for injuries. Anyone could tell Ryuji was in a much worse state, with new bruises starting to form under his ripped rags. But Ryuji was still worried. Those punches could have easily been concussion inducing had Akira been hit. Good thing he was so quick. Ryuji didn’t think he’d have been able to dodge all of those blows.

Ryuji could see the concern in Akira’s eyes behind the mask he wore. The mask, now that Ryuji got a better look, was delicately detailed with various black markings that reminded Ryuji of the wearer’s own eyelashes.

“I see ya took a page out of my book though. And after you made fun of my fashion choices and everything,” Ryuji joked to relieve the tension in the room.

It worked somewhat, with Akira cracking a smile despite the serious look in his eyes.

“What can I say, you must be a trend-setter,” Akira replied, voice light but filled with emotion.

“Yeah, if dirty rags are the next big thing, that’s all me,” Ryuji let out a small laugh.

But all the relief he was feeling hit an abrupt halt.

Akira was here. Prince Akira who was expecting Ryuji to be some kind of noble boy or at least some kind of well-off merchant. His Royal Highness who now saw Ryuji for who he truly was, a slave worth no more than the dust that covered him. Ryuji knew this was going to happen when he decided to reveal himself, but now that he was here, he could feel himself closing off in shame.

Looking down and hunching his shoulder, Ryuji wished nothing more then to become one with the floorboards beneath him. He wanted to run, but he couldn’t leave yet. There was too much to be said, too much he wanted to say, but Ryuji didn’t know where to start. His throat felt tight, and his breathing felt constricted.

Apologies for the lies and for Akira putting all this effort into finding him were caught in Ryuji’s throat. Instead, Ryuji waited. Waited for the betrayal and outrage to flow out of Akira’s mouth. Waited for Akira to retract the comforting hand on Ryuji’s back and leave. The prince had every right after all.

But instead of pulling away, Akira used both hands to pull Ryuji into a tight embrace.

“I’m so glad I found you,” Akira almost whispered.

Ryuji stopped himself from choking out a sob at the words.

“You mean… you’re not disappointed?” Ryuji asked, voice cracking. “That I’m…” Ryuji couldn’t finish.

Understanding Ryuji’s words, Akira just held Ryuji tighter.

“Of course not. I like you for you, your status doesn’t matter to me,” Akira said. “Your status doesn’t change the fact that I couldn’t stop thinking about you since you left, and how much I wanted to see you again.”

With that, Ryuji flung his own arms around Akira, finally hugging him back. He let out a small laugh, feeling a couple tears fall from his eyes. But they weren’t sad tears like he thought he’d be shedding. They were the happy tears he’d only dared to hope for.

Ryuji had said it before, but this _smooth motherfucker_ just said the exact words Ryuji had only dreamed Akira would say to him.

“Wow dude, ya can’t just say it like that, it ain’t good for my heart. But… I really wanted to see you again too, and I’m really happy you’re here,” Ryuji said, releasing Akira so he could see him properly. “I’m sorry for lying ‘bout who I was though, that wasn’t cool of me.”

Akira smiled softly, taking Ryuji’s hand in his.

“No need for apologies. You didn’t really lie since I never asked,” Akira said. “And even if you did, I lied first anyways, so I guess we’re even.”

A cough interrupted the two, who had become so focused on their reunion that they’d forgotten the situation they were in.

“As much as I’m happy that you found your mystery boy Your Highness, I kind of have to do something with this guy,” Sojiro spoke from where we was still holding a sword to keep Kamoshida in place.

“No need to worry about that, we’ve got reinforcements on the way,” Akira said.

Sojiro wore a questioning look, but it was Ryuji who spoke up.

“How the hell did ya manage that?” Ryuji asked, both confused and impressed.

“I actually got some help from a friend of yours,” Akira said with a sly yet soft smile. “Ann was very insistent I get you out of here while she go get backup.”

Ryuji stared for a moment before releasing a loud laugh. He was going to give Ann the biggest damn hug of her life when he saw her.

“Sounds like Ann. She’s such a badass.”

Akira nodded in agreement.

But before Akira could say anything else, a familiar silver mask was thrown his way. Akira caught it without even blinking.

“Well if we’re waiting here anyways, you should at least finish what you came to do,” Sojiro said with a knowing smile. “I’ll drag this guy out of here and wait outside.”

Akira nodded, while Ryuji watched briefly as Sojiro pushed Kamoshida, who was more or less a despondent shell at this point, to his feet and out the front door. Akira then turned back to Ryuji, whose eyes were now on the object in Akira’s hands.

Ryuji felt like he hadn’t seen this mask in a very long time.

“If I may?” Akira asked politely, hovering the mask in front of Ryuji’s face.

“Of course,” Ryuji replied with another smile.

Tentatively, Akira placed the skull mask on Ryuji’s face, pushing a little at the end to make sure it stayed in place.

And to neither of their surprises, the mask stuck, fitting perfectly. Ryuji brought his fingers up to touch the object he owed all of this to. Skulls were usually a bad omen, representing the end of a life, but this one that sat comfortably on his face, represented the new beginning of his.

“Looks like the mask fits,” Akira said softly.

“Did you think it wasn’t going to?” Ryuji asked with a laugh.

“No harm in being sure.”

“I think ya just wanted us to match.”

“Looks like you caught me.”

They both chuckled, falling into a short silence.

As much as Ryuji was content just to sit here and soak in all the wonders that had just happened, he did have a singular question on his mind.

“So… what now?” he asked quietly.

Akira took a breath, looking deeply into Ryuji’s eyes.

“Well, as per my royal decree, I’m looking to court the owner of this mask,” Akira explained, sincerity clear in his eyes. “Of course, only if that’s something they’d want as well.”

Ryuji’s heart skipped several beats at that. He’d read the royal decree, but it felt so much better to hear it in person. And Ryuji already knew what his answer was going to be.

However, instead of risking stumbling over his words, Ryuji answered by leaning in with a kiss.

It only lasted a couple seconds, and their two masks bumped together a little bit, but it was amazing all the same. Ryuji wasn’t positive he did it perfectly, but Akira’s lips were soft and slotted well against his own, so he was feeling too blissful to care.

Ryuji pulled away slowly, grinning at the blush he’d put on Akira’s face since he knew it matched with his own.

“That answer your question for ya?” Ryuji asked, feeling happy enough to warrant being a little cheeky.

“Hmm, I think that was just the answer I was hoping for,” Akira smiled.

Ryuji gave Akira’s hand another squeeze, feeling the very real person next to him.

It was a lot, to feel this euphoric when he’d almost given up on happiness altogether.

Maybe he didn’t deserve it right now, and maybe he was being selfish, but Akira was smiling because of Ryuji. And this feeling in Ryuji’s gut, of wanting to be at Akira’s side despite the consequences, it was mutual. So maybe this time Ryuji was allowed to have this. To accept the hand reached out to him without reservation and escape the chains that had held him for so long.

There was a lot to sort out. Kamoshida, his dad’s debt, making sure his mom would be okay, but for today those things could wait.

Today Ryuji was going to choose for himself.

And he chose Akira.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, writing Kamoshida getting punched in the face was extremely satisfying. Ann definitely got her own hit in once she showed up with the guards.  
> Also, if ya'll were curious what took Akira so long to finally make his entrance, he was writing out specific instructions so the guards Ann fetched would actually listen to her (and his entrance had to be as dramatic as possible).
> 
> With that we just have the epilogue to go! And as always, a big thanks to all you wonderful readers out there!
> 
> Also, my friend did some amazing art from the dance scene in Chapter 5! You can check it out here 


	8. Chapter 8

Akira was freaking out, and no one seemed to be able to calm him down. Futaba stressed him about all the things that could go wrong, and Sojiro straight up told him he wasn’t going to be of any help. Even Ann and Shiho, who had gone through the exact same thing recently, just told him things would be fine.

But he didn’t want things to be _fine,_ he wanted them to be perfect!

It’d been almost a year and a half since Akira had first met Ryuji on the fated night of the ball, and a lot had changed since then. One of those being that Akira was happier now than he’d ever been.

Initially, there had been quite a struggle settling Ryuji’s affairs, namely regarding a Mr. Suguru Kamoshida (Akira made an instinctive face of disgust at the thought of the man.) It had been fairly simple to imprison the man for life since he’d openly attacked Akira, and Kamoshida had been behind bars permanently after the fastest sentencing in Kingdom history. Despite this, Akira had desired nothing more than to execute the bastard after learning what he’d put Ryuji through. A basic execution wasn’t even enough to make Kamoshida pay for his crimes in Akira’s opinion. But it had actually been Ryuji who’d argued against any execution prospect, claiming even someone as terrible as Kamoshida didn’t deserve to be killed.

It wasn’t that Ryuji forgave the man in any capacity, but Kamoshida being out of his life and incapable of hurting anyone else was enough for Ryuji. And for the rest of his days, Kamoshida could repent for everything he’d done.

It still amazed Akira that Ryuji would ever stand up for the person that had made his life a living hell, but Ryuji’s fierce kindness was one of the reasons Akira loved him so much.

But even with Kamoshida behind bars, the hard part had come with nulling the contract of servitude under which Ryuji was bound. More specifically, the debt owed by Ryuji’s father.

Had Kamoshida been the only one Ryuji’s family owed money to, that would be one thing, but there were several other people who demanded money from Ryuji and his mother despite them having nothing to do with Ryuji’s father’s misdeeds.

With Kamoshida facing a life of imprisonment, these other debt collectors had come rushing forward demanding Ryuji work for them, as his mother’s payments would often come in too slowly.

Well let’s just say, after a nice chat with Akira, and a few payments Ryuji didn’t need to know about, the Sakamoto family was given the clean slate they deserved. This made Ryuji a free man, and gave his mother the chance to take a break from her years of nonstop labour.

Speaking of Ryuji’s mother, Akira had never met such a caring and loving woman in all his days. The reunion between her and Ryuji had brought tears to even Akira’s eyes. There were many apologies on both ends, but Akira could tell more than anything that they’d just missed each other. He’d given them a few days to spend together before showing up to take Ryuji back to the palace, promising they could meet up whenever the two desired.

Mrs. Sakamoto had quietly given Akira her blessing to court her son before they left.

But even with all the logistics cleared up, things had been shaky for the first month or two.

There had never been issues concerning Akira and Ryuji getting along, as the two never grew bored of each other and would laugh together endlessly, but Ryuji’s insecurities about being undeserving of his newfound happiness hadn’t disappeared overnight. Neither did Akira’s own stresses about dragging good and honest Ryuji into a world of cut-throat politics, but they worked and grew together.

Ryuji was given an official position at the castle, working as almost a go-between with the common-folk in the village and Akira. He would listen to the villagers’ concerns and explain them to Akira so they could figure out how these issues could be improved. He’d also get to train with the royal guards, and get different lessons from Futaba on occasion (the two of them got on almost too well sometimes.)

It had taken some time, but Akira found himself falling more in love with Ryuji everyday, and not for a second did he ever regret any of it. His parents could complain all they wanted, but Akira didn’t care. This vulgar, passionate, excitable boy was who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Which was why the ring he carried in his pocket seemed all the more daunting. Akira was sure of his feelings with every part of his being, but he wanted to do this right, with all the love and preparation that Ryuji deserved.

So his friends trying to tell him it didn’t matter how he popped the question was not helpful. Even Ann, who had done the most elaborate proposal of all time for Shiho a couple months ago (involving both a seaside romantic escape and a sunset proposal), had told Akira that ‘Ryuji is already impressed by everything you do, just ask him already so I can be the best Maid of Honour ever!’

Not what Akira wanted to hear.

He had so many ideas, but nothing seemed good enough.

So Akira took his indecisiveness to the one place he could think in peace.

The garden bench meant a lot more to Akira now than it used to, but it still served as the place he could hide away for the nonstop duties of palace life.

However, when Akira arrived, the bench was already occupied. Sometimes Akira would find Ryuji waiting here for him, but aside from that this location was usually empty.

The person seated on the bench today didn’t seem to notice Akira, too enthralled in the canvass he was painting. Akira watched the blue-haired stranger flick his paintbrush with the most grace he’d ever seen. He contemplated leaving the stranger alone, but wasn’t given much of a choice when the stranger began to speak.

“This garden is quite lovely, but you should inform your gardener that the proportions between the hydrangeas and lilacs are off somewhat.”

Akira raised his brow at the strange statement.

“I’ll be sure to let them know,” Akira agreed, unsure of how else to respond.

The artist seemed pleased and nodded, eyes still on his painting. There was a pause as Akira watched the boy return to his painting. Akira found himself curious.

“What are you painting?” Akira asked.

The artist finally looked up at Akira, eyes sparkling at the question.

“I am trying to paint many things. Tranquility, desire, hope, unity,” the blue-haired boy explained. “But most of all, what I wish to paint… is love.”

The passion with which the boy spoke was oddly… moving, despite Akira still having no idea what he was painting.

“It sounds like quite the amazing piece,” Akira said.

The boy nodded again.

“Indeed, the end result is quite to my satisfaction,” he said. “I look forward to seeing how it will flourish in the future as well.”

“Well, I’d love to see it when you’re finished,” Akira said sincerely, earning himself a smile from the boy.

“I am not sure it will ever be completed, but the beauty comes from its’ growth does it not?”

With that, the artist seemed to add a few more detailed brushstrokes, before giving the canvass a final look of approval and placing his paintbrush into his pocket. It was only then that Akira realized there was no actual paint to be seen anywhere, but he’d need to dwell on that later.

The artist got to his feet, making his way over to Akira. Then, holding it in a single hand, the blue-haired boy offered the painting to Akira, who looked at the artist in confusion.

“Please continue to treasure this,” the artist said, a soft look in his eyes.

Akira wasn’t sure what to say, but took the painting regardless.

Then, without waiting for Akira’s response, the artist bowed slightly.

“I am sure we will meet again. Ryuji has promised me a lavish meal after all.”

The artist turned to leave, and with one blink from Akira he was gone, almost disappearing into thin air. Akira had to rub his eyes to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.

After staring in disbelief for who knows how long, Akira finally turned his attention to the painting clutched in his fingers. He carefully turned it over, making sure not to touch any areas that may still have wet paint. The image he found had his eyes going wide with shock.

It was Ryuji and himself, dancing in the same garden where they’d met. The same one Akira stood in right now. The expression Ryuji wore was so full of life that Akira could almost hear his laugh through the painting. Painted Akira had a much softer look about him, but shared the same enraptured look as his partner. The piece was serene looking, but the feelings it invoked in Akira nearly brought tears to his eyes.

Akira didn’t know who this artist was, and should probably be concerned by the fact that he could accurately paint Ryuji and himself to this extent, or questioning everything that had just happened, but instead he found himself feeling thankful.

Thankful for a life that allowed him to smile like he did in this painting. For friends that loved him for him, and for Ryuji, who was always at his side. No matter the hardship, Akira knew Ryuji would be right there, willing to fight anything that got in their way.

And Akira wanted Ryuji to stay at his side, now and forever.

Suddenly the stress of planning some perfect proposal was gone, and the mess of ideas running through his brain settled. There was only one place to do this. It should have been obvious from the beginning.

“I thought ya might be here.”

Akira looked up from the painting of Ryuji to be met by the real thing, coming his way. Ryuji jogged over, covered in sweat, but a big smile on his face.

“You found me,” Akira said.

“Ain’t like it’s hard. You’re always here when you aren’t in the castle,” Ryuji teased. “I dunno how the guards don’t find you when ya sneak away.”

Akira shrugged. “I guess you just know me better.”

Ryuji snorted.

“Well I sure hope I do. Although Makoto might give me a run for my money. She has your schedule like memorized dude, it’s pretty impressive.”

To be fair, Makoto knew Akira’s schedule better than _he_ did.

“So, what do ya got there?” Ryuji asked curiously, pointing at the painting in Akira’s hands.

Akira held out the painting for Ryuji to take.

“I met some artist out here, and he gave it to me. Seemed like he knew you,” Akira responded.

“I don’t think I know any artists unless you count—” Ryuji stopped when he caught a glimpse of the canvass, eyes going wide. He gaped; eyes glued to the art before him.

“No way dude, this…” Ryuji gasped. “It’s us.”

Akira chuckled at the obvious statement, while Ryuji was busy dissecting the painting.

With Ryuji distracted, Akira took a quick glance around. They were standing right where they had danced that first night, before Ryuji had fled. The breeze was light, and the sun shone overhead, but was tucked enough behind a cloud to not be blinding. There was no one else around somehow, just Akira and Ryuji.

So Akira fished around in his jacket pocket until his hand settled around a small box.

“Even your glasses are spot on. I ain’t really an art guy but this is freaking amazing,” Ryuji stated, eyes still glued to the painting in his hands.

Akira took a breath.

He was both extremely nervous and not nervous at all. The weather, the place, the mood, everything just felt right, like there would never be a better time than right now. The perfection of this moment was almost magical.

So, with a nervous smile, Akira got down on one knee, just like he had when he’d asked Ryuji to dance the first time. His hands shook slightly as he opened the black box, revealing the ring within.

“Hey dude did you—"

Ryuji looked at Akira and subsequently dropped the canvass in his hand.

“Wha—” Ryuji choked out.

“Ryuji Sakamoto,” Akira started. “I’m so lucky to have you in my life and I just…” Akira had to pause for a second, his emotions getting the best of him.

He was determined not to cry until he finished. These words were important and Ryuji deserved to hear them.

Akira took another breath.

“… I can’t imagine my life without you. You’re like the sun to me, when everything’s just too much or I feel lost, I know that you’ll be there, at my side. And when you have bad days, I want to be there for you too…”

Ryuji’s eyes were glassy and his cheeks were red.

“… And I know how much you hate when I compliment you, but you have to know how amazing you are to me. You’re so strong, and passionate, and funny, and perfect, and you deserve to hear it…”

Tears began to fall from Ryuji’s eyes. Akira wasn’t far behind.

“…You deserve to know how much I love you.”

“For real?” Ryuji whispered, almost quiet enough that Akira didn’t hear. Akira laughed wetly, realizing now that he was crying too.

Then with a big smile, he finally asked the question.

“So, Ryuji Sakamoto,” one last breath, “Will you marry me?”

Ryuji gasped softly, as if the words surprised him despite the ring in front of him. But that didn’t stop him from scooping Akira into a bone-crushing hug with a kiss to match. Akira almost dropped the ring in his hand, but recovered and returned the kiss. It was slow and full of emotion, which Akira easily melted into.

“Of course I will, you sappy prince,” Ryuji said, pulling away for a moment before leaning back in to kiss Akira again.

Akira chuckled lightly against Ryuji’s lips, wearing a big smile on his face. The relief Akira felt at the answer had him feeling almost light-headed, but luckily Ryuji seemed to notice and held him tighter, supporting all of his weight.

“I love you so much Akira,” Ryuji said as he broke their kiss for the second time. “I don’t know what I did to deserve all this, but I feel so goddamn lucky everyday I get to be with you, even when you’re being dramatic as hell. And I know you call me perfect and shit, but you’re the perfect one.”

“We’ll just have to agree to disagree then,” Akira sniffled, as a few more happy tears fell from his face.

Ryuji snorted in return. “Nah, I’ll convince you one of these days. I’ll just have to buy you a bigger mirror.”

Akira shoved Ryuji playfully, before remembering the ring in his hand.

“Well, shall we see if this thing fits?” Akira asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

He removed the simple yet intricate silver band from its box and held it out for Ryuji. The ring wasn’t full of expensive gems or anything, but it didn’t need any of those additions to be beautiful. It was beautiful all on its own.

Ryuji wiped his face quickly before holding his hand out to Akira, who slid the ring cleanly onto Ryuji’s finger.

Ryuji stared in awe at the object, rubbing the smooth surface between two of his fingers.

“Dude, it fits perfect!” Ryuji exclaimed.

“What can I say, I just always have things in your size. Must be destiny or something,” Akira said, causing Ryuji to scoff playfully.

“You probably just got Futaba to find out my ring size.”

“I will neither confirm nor deny.”

They laughed a little, while Ryuji went back and forth between looking at the ring on his finger and smiling at Akira with that bright smile he loved so much. If Akira got to see that smile everyday, even the worst days would be bearable. No matter how many people fake smiled for him, if he could come home to this one, Akira would be the happiest person alive.

Nothing could ruin this moment, but there was one thing that could make it better.

“Prince Ryuji, may I have this dance,” Akira bowed, holding his hand out cheekily.

“Not if ya call me that you can’t,” Ryuji said, but took Akira hand anyways.

“Aww, but you’re my dashing prince charming” Akira smirked, beginning to move slowly with Ryuji following along seamlessly.

Ryuji crinkled his nose in fond annoyance. “The only kind of dashing I’ll be, is dashing out of here.”

“But you love me,” Akira pouted.

Huffing a breath, Ryuji’s smile got the better of him.

“Yeah, yeah I do.”

As they danced through the empty and peaceful garden, Akira squeezed Ryuji’s hand, feeling the cool of Ryuji’s silver ring against his, before intertwining their fingers together.

They fit perfectly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You bet your ass I saved Ryuji's "for real" for the last chapter. It had to be done.
> 
> And with that this fic is done! This has been one of my favourite fics to write, and part of that was all the support I got from all you readers out there, so thanks so much! I hoped you all liked the ending as well!  
> If any of ya'll wanna scream at me or shout more fic ideas my way you can find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/NaTrashaWrites) and [Tumblr](https://demoncow97.tumblr.com/)

**Author's Note:**

> Me seeing Cendrillon is Yoshizawa's persona: That's so cool  
> My brain nonstop for the next week: Now make a Pegoryu Cinderella AU
> 
> Thanks everyone for reading! Hope ya'll like it!


End file.
